Preview: Glenavon v Crusaders

After the disappointment of crashing out of the League Cup at home to Newry City on Wednesday night, Gary Hamilton has to lift his team to take on second-placed Crusaders tomorrow at Mourneview Park.

NB kick off is 5pm after the Oktoberfest event which commences at 3pm.

Andrew Mitchell faces a late fitness test tomorrow.

Andrew Mitchell and Andrew Doyle face late fitness tests ahead of the game after they and James Singleton were forced to sit out Wednesday’s game because of injuries picked up against Warrenpoint last Saturday. James is fit to start tomorrow and Kyle Beggs, who was cup-tied for the Newry game, should also make a return.

“On Wednesday night we were missing Jonny Tuffey, Caolan Marron, Andrew Doyle, Andrew Mitchell Josh Daniels, Seamus Sharkey, Sammy Clingan, James Singleton and Robbie Norton with various injuries. We want to give Doyler and Mitch as long as we can to see if they come through for tomorrow,” Gary told us. “Obviously it’s not ideal but that’s the way it is at the minute and we just have to get on with it and hope that the boys can keep digging deep and pull out a few results. Then, when all the boys come back, we can start becoming more like ourselves.

“It’s going to be a difficult game, as it always would be,” Gary continued, “and when you’re missing so many experienced players it makes it more difficult but the boys can go out tomorrow and try and play with freedom and and give it their all and see where it takes them. The team that we’ve still got available, I believe in them, and they’re still more than capable of getting results. What we will do tomorrow is give it our all and try and get the result as we always do. The boys put in a good performance last week at Warrenpoint and got a good result. All they have to do is take the positives out of that and bring it into the game tomorrow.”