Preview: Glenavon v Newry City AFC (Wed)

Glenavon host Newry City AFC in Wednesday evening’s rearranged Bet McLean League Cup last-sixteen game, kick-off 7:45pm. Admission charges are Adults £8 and Concessions £5 and season tickets are not valid.

Conor McCloskey in League Cup Round 2 action against Portstewart

With his side facing three games in a week, for Gary Hamilton it will be a question of seeing who is fit following Saturday’s very welcome league victory against Warrenpoint.

“It’s been tough for the guys. Because of injuries we haven’t been able to get a settled eleven, the same team out on the pitch two weeks in a row but they are working hard. The good thing for us, which everybody else doesn’t see, we see them in training week in and week out, the atmosphere is still there, the team spirit is still there, the camaraderie’s still there.”

Looking ahead to Wednesday Gary said “It’s another difficult game. Darren’s someone who’s done a really good job down at Newry over the years. In my opinion, he’s got an even stronger team than last year, he’s brought in some really good footballers. They’ll be no easy task.

“We have to check on the injuries and fitness of players because we have a lot of guys who haven’t been playing enough game time and three games in a week might be too much for them so we’ll wait and see after training on Monday. We’ll prepare them for Newry and hope to get another positive result.”

Newry are currently sitting 4th in the Bluefin Sports Championship after banging six past the PSNI on Saturday. They also had a big 5-1 win against Ards in which former Glenavon winger Adam Foley bagged a hattrick in a man of the match performance for Darren Mullan’s side.

In the previous round of the competition Glenavon survived an early scare when they went behind to Portstewart before emerging 4-1 winners. Newry made it through to Round 3 by defeating Loughgall 1-0 in Round 2.

The winners of tomorrow night’s tie will be at home to Institute on Tuesday 29th October.