APRIL 2006

BLUES LEAVE IT LATE

Glenavon achieved the win required to avoid a promotion-relegation play-off with a very late winner from leading scorer Marty Verner. It was a nervy performance from the home side though, in the end, with Institute losing to a late goal against Ballymena, the result at Mourneview turned out to be irrelevant. It didn't look that way in the 71st minute when United's 17 year old substitute Tony Clyde stroked a low shot past Kyle Nelson at his near post to give the visitors the lead. Glenavon's equaliser came only two minutes later when Aidan McVeigh's cross was turned into his own net by Martin Ferry.

With Glenavon pressing for a winner to ensure the three points required to avoid the play-off there were inevitable gaps at the back but in the final minute it looked like McVeigh would settle matters as he rounded the United keeper but he let the ball run wide and could only manage to hit the post with the goal at his mercy. Fortunately Verner displayed his striker's instincts and smashed the rebound left-footed into the far side of the goals to send the Mourneview faithful into raptures of relief, as much as joy.

Post-match Interview

Jimmy Brown's relief was evident after the match "I've been saying for quite a long time that matters were in our own hands but when they scored I thought 'Well no it's not in our own hands now'. I was worried that perhaps there wasn't enough time to get back into it but a wee bit of luck that we haven't had at home in the second half of the programme materialised in an own goal. Then the inevitable Marty Verner jumps into action in the last minute and grabs the winner.

"We remain in the Premier League and I'm delighted for the Directors, the players and, most of all, the supporters. The hard work starts now, it's the next stage now.  When I came the remit was to remain in the Premier League and that's been achieved. The next stage is to look at the situation, see what we need to do in terms of players and add to the squad in terms of quality because I don't want to go through that again and I'm sure the supporters and directors don't want to go through that again. We need to add quality to the squad and that's what I hope to do. I'll sit down with them over the next few weeks, see what the budget is and try and get new players on board.

"There are a number of players out of contract in England and Scotland that I have spoken to and there'll be others in the Irish League that I'll be talking to as well. We need to bring in the quality that will keep us out of the sort of area we've been in over the last five or six weeks.

"Now that we know we are remaining in the Premier League, it gives me a better base from which to work in terms of the players we have here as well as those I'd like to bring on board."

PRESENTATIONS

Glenavon's final game saw the presentation of a number of player awards for the season. Glenavon's Official Photographer, Drew McWilliams, captured them on camera ...

APRIL POM

50th ANNIVERSARY

The City of Armagh Glenavon Supporters Club recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the Annual Dinner Dance in the Cricket Club in Armagh. The Armagh club was formed in 1956 when the late Norman Leathem, a Lurgan based businessman, moved to Armagh and set up a club along with his good friends Tommy West and Sammy Neville to help ferry local supporters to Lurgan to watch their team.

The club currently has 29 members of varying experience, familiar faces that could be seen in a memorabilia display containing photos and correspondence from the clubs long history.

First team manager Jimmy Brown and Gerard McMahon also attended and Gerard received a donation from the Armagh club in recognition of his testimonial year.

All in all everybody present had an enjoyable evening as live music concluded the evening's entertainment.

22nd April 2006: CITY SWEPT ASIDE

Glenavon put in a great first half performance but went in to the interval only leading by a single Marty Verner goal thanks to the heroics of former Mourneview keeper Paul Rice. He denied O'Connor, Walsh and McMahon before Verner ran onto Walsh's through ball and rounded him to roll the ball into the empty net.  He also pulled off further saves from Black and Walsh to keep the score down to 0-1 at half time.

Early in the second half McKnight's corner crashed back off the near post and his follow up was deflected for another corner and Black had a chipped effort drift just wide.

McSourley fired a long range effort well wide of an open goal in the 63rd minute after Glenavon's debutant keeper Kyle Nelson came out of his area but failed to clear the ball. The young keeper made a good save to keep out Ward's close range effort as Glenavon failed to deal with Shea Campbell's free kick into the box. Meehan should have done much better in the 73rd minute when Ward's good work on the right set up a chance for him but he fired weakly straight at Nelson.

The clincher for Glenavon came 12 minutes from time when McGauley turned Verner's low cross into his own net. Sixty seconds later and Walsh grabbed his first of a double when his shot was deflected past the helpless Rice. The midfielder capped a fine performance when he raced onto McVeigh's pass, rounded Rice and slotted home from a tight angle in the final minute.

With Institute claiming an unexpected 1-0 victory at Shamrock Park, the fight to avoid the promotion-relegation playoff spot goes to the final game of the season, with Larne now also joining Glenavon and 'Stute as one of the three possible clubs who could face a play-off against Donegal Celtic. Glenavon at least know that a win next week at home to Limavady will make them safe.

Post-match with Jimmy Brown

"I was obviously delighted to score four goals down here. It's a local derby and it was always going to be very difficult. That's the first time in four games that Glenavon have beaten Armagh so I'm pleased from that point of view and of course I'm pleased that we got the win. It was a bit nervy until we got the second goal. We created so many chances in the first half but only scored the one. We had at least five good chances in the first half but we really needed that second goal to make it safe.

"The players know the score in terms of 1-0 to Institute at Shamrock Park so it's down to the wire but they'll be up for it again. It's still in our own hands and if we win it we'll be okay. I'm confident - I said to the players if they play the way they did against Ballymena and the way they played today, I'm confident that we can avoid the play-off situation."

13th April 2006: GLENAVON ROUNDUP

Blues Lose Three Points

Glenavon have been penalised by the IFA's Premier League Committee for playing on-loan striker Carlos Alvarez without a work permit. Although International clearance and player registration were in order and confirmed by the IFA the Bolivian, as a non EU national, required a work permit to enable him to play. As a result, Glenavon forfeit the three points gained in the 3-0 victory at Ards, who are now awarded the game. This means Larne leapfrog Glenavon who are now a single point above Institute, currently in the play-off spot.

Andy's Had Enough

Keeper Andy McDonald has called time on his Glenavon career, citing abuse from a small number of Glenavon supporters. The final straw came after Saturday's 2-3 defeat at home to Larne when a few supporters, who seemingly blamed McDonald for the two superbly struck 'wonder' goals scored by Gary McCutcheon, launched a verbal attack on the keeper as the teams came off the pitch at the end of the match.

Tough Run-In

The blow of losing a hard won three points has not made Glenavon's bid to avoid a relegation play-off any easier and the team faces the first of four tough final games with a trip to Shamrock Park on Saturday. Missing will be Aaron Black who starts the first of a two match suspension but Jimmy Brown will welcome back striker Marty Verner and defender Davy McAlinden from their suspensions. Verner was badly missed in the Larne game, with Glenavon creating a number of presentable chances but lacking that 'killer' instinct that Verner usually provides. Portadown are also missing a number of key players including Darren Kelly, Jamie Marks and Michael Collins but the Shamrock Park side have found able replacements in youngsters Alan Teggart and Aaron Baker whose goals set them on the way to a 3-2 victory at the Ballymena Showgrounds last Saturday..

On Easter Tuesday (3:00 pm kick off) Glenavon entertain Ballymena United. Glenavon won the reverse fixture 3-2 with two goals from Aidan McVeigh and one from Verner but the Braid men are pressing for a Setanta Cup place and will also be smarting from that home defeat by Portadown on Saturday.

8th April 2006: BLUES LOSE CRUNCH GAME

Glenavon 2-3 Larne

Despite a good first half display Glenavon found themselves trailing 1-2 at half time when Gary McCutcheon scored with Larne's only two efforts of the half. He opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a dipping effort from the left side and restored the lead with another well-struck effort from the 'D' five minutes after Aaron Black had equalised with a tap in from McMahon's corner.

Glenavon had early chances to go in front with McMahon dragging a shot wide of an open goal after McVeigh dispossessed the last defender and Spackman was caught out of his goal. McVeigh himself fired wide when well placed as Walsh's shot deflected off a defender and fell to him about 8 yards out.

Just after the Larne opener McVeigh set up a chance for O'Connor but he couldn't get the ball out of his feet and had to lay it back to McMahon who drove a right foot shot wide of the post. Black grabbed the equaliser in the 25th minute when McMahon's corner landed at his feet and he tapped in from 3 yards.

McCutcheon restored the lead for Larne when Glenavon failed to clear Cleary's free kick and he had time to control the ball and smash a dipping volley over McDonald from the centre of the 'D'. Sixty seconds later Walsh dribbled through the Larne defence and forced Spackman to turn his shot around the post. Walsh was also involved, with McVeigh, in setting up another chance for O'Connor but the Glenavon midfielder failed to get a decisive touch on the edge of the box.

In the first minute of the second half Black chested down Gawley's free kick and got away a shot on the turn that Spackman could only parry for a corner. McDonald made a great point blank save to deny Hamlin in the 50th minute. Paul McKnight, on as a substitute for O'Connor, got away from two Larne players out on the left and delivered a great cross that McVeigh chested down for McAlorum but the young midfielder blasted well wide from 12 yards out.

Lewis Hamlin scored what proved to be the winner ten minutes from time when he controlled a diagonal ball and flicked it around McAlorum before finishing with a low shot to the far corner. Conor Walsh's fine 25 yard strike two minutes from time was just too little too late to rescue a point.

Post-match Reactions

Jimmy Brown: "The damage was done in the first half with the two strikes from Gary McCutcheon. I thought we were really fired up for it and were the better side in the first half but they had two wonder strikes. Under no circumstances could you blame Andy McDonald for the goals. I blame our defenders because they were too far off him on both occasions but they were too classic strikes.

"We didn't really do enough in the second half - we didn't trouble them enough, apart from the first minute when Spackman made a tremendous save. When Conor (Walsh) did score it was too little too late.

"I can't fault their effort and work rate, it was just a lack of finishing especially with the number of chances we created in the first half.

"It'll be a battle right to the end but it's still in our own hands. We've a difficult run in with Portadown, Ballymena, Armagh and Limavady but I'm still confident we'll not go down. If we got two wins I think we'll be okay.

"I can understand the supporters and that they are being frustrated that we are being sucked into this relegation zone. It was the same when I took the job. Basically overall it wasn't my team and what I want to do is make sure we stay in the Premier League and build my own team for next season. What I said when I arrived in the job, and I arrived late in the job, was that if we finished third bottom or above I'd be content because that means we are still in the Premier League and I'll work very hard in the summer to get players in and add a bit of quality to the squad."

Kieran O'Connor: "The fans turned up in decent numbers to get behind the team and unfortunately we let them down again. It's just not good enough. Now we're right in it. We have to deal with it with four games to go and it's up to ourselves whether we want to play in the Premier League. Today we didn't show that, when it came to the crunch we didn't do it."

Kenny Shiels: "We knew we would have a chance here because we are a footballing team and that's gone against Glenavon because when we see a good pitch we play better. Everywhere we've been on good pitches we've done well. I'm delighted for our supporters, they've been fantastic, and hopefully we can get them out of the mire. We're far from out of it. We're two points behind Glenavon so if we win next week and they don't win we'll be in around them. We've a better goal difference than Glenavon now - I've been watching that as well."

BLACK IS P.O.M. FOR MARCH

4th April 2006: CUP FINAL DEFEAT

Glenavon was the better side in the first half of this Rushmere Shopping Mid Ulster Cup Final and took a well deserved 20th minute lead with a superb 25 yard strike into the top corner by Kieran O'Connor. Lee Duxbury had already gone close in the 8th minute and Glenavon had a strong shout for a penalty ignored when Fitzpatrick appeared to handle the ball as McVeigh tried to flick it round him in the Dungannon box.

Duxbury then conceded an unnecessary corner and Timmy Adamson headed back Gallagher's inswinger from the far post to leave Scullion with a simple tap in.

The Swifts were much improved in the second half and took the lead in the 54th minute when Adamson chested down an attempted pass from Glenavon's young left back Craig McMillen and raced down the right. He shot across goal and Andy McDonald got a hand to the ball but could only turn it into the path of Michael Ward who again had a simple tap in from 5 yards out. Scullion hit the post with a header two minutes later.

McVeigh was very unlucky not to draw Glenavon level when he smashed a 20 yard free kick off the underside of the bar with McAlorum getting his head to the rebound but unable to direct it goal wards before the Dungannon defence hacked it clear. Patrick Hope then headed just wide and O'Connor scooped his shot from 8 yards over the bar after Black headed on McKnight's 76th minute corner and McVeigh had a second penalty appeal turned down when Montgomery seemed to hold him in the box. Jimmy Brown was then sent from the dugout after assistant referee John McDowell spoke to the referee Adrian Ball.

Dungannon clinched the trophy 8 minutes from time, once again thanks to a corner conceded needlessly when McDonald tried to return a back pass back to Hope but let the ball slide out of play. Man of the Match Adamson stooped to meet Murphy's low corner with a glancing header that he directed into the far corner of the goal.

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