AUGUST 2006

31st August: BLUES LOSE AGAIN

Larne 1-0 Glenavon

Glenavon is still looking for the first points of the season after losing to a 38th minute goal from Larne's Tomaz Grzegorczyk. Nathan McConnell had the ball in the Larne net inside two minutes but his effort from Gerard McMahon's cross was ruled out for offside.

Paul Walsh provided Glenavon's biggest threat to Larne

The winner came when Larne full back Liam Mullan took the ball round Barry Reid and cut it back from the bye-line for Grzegorczyk to scoop home from about 12 yards.

Glenavon improved in the second half but once again found Larne keeper Chris Keenan in good form. He dealt with Paul Walsh's lob early in the half and somehow kept out a close range header from McMahon on 63 minutes after Quinn headed Walsh's free kick back across the goal mouth. He also made a decent save from Marty Hunter's overhead kick.

Paul Rice denies Colm Kearney

At the other end Paul Rice denied Colm Kearney in a one-on-one and pulled off a fantastic double save as he somehow scooped Grzegorczyk's header onto the post and, with a static Glenavon defence seemingly frozen, the veteran keeper threw himself in the way of Hamlin's close range follow up shot.

In the closing moments Quinn's cross-field ball put Walsh through but Keenan was quickly off his line to block the young winger's shot, with Walsh picking up a knock in the process.

Colin Malone was concerned that his side looked 'toothless' up front. "We just don't look like we're going to score. For all the possession and pressure we have, we look toothless. The scraps in and around the box don't look as if we're going to be on to them first. Anything falling about there is being picked up by the opposition. Those are the crumbs that strikers would normally feed on but we seem to be hovering around the edge of the box rather than getting in there and fighting for those scraps.

"Once again we gave away a sloppy goal: their player rounded Barry on the outside all too easily and put the ball in the box and they've got people in there and he spooned one into the back of the net."

Malone also expressed his disappointment at the administrative delays within the IFA in obtaining clearance for Atiba Charles that have prevented him from playing both tonight and against Linfield. "It's unbelievable, the way the whole thing has been done. It's amazing; in the Scottish and English Leagues and the FAI that they can seem to do these things in 24 or 48 hours and we've been at it for four weeks now. The IFA just seemed to be concerned to clear him for the (transfer) window but we could have and should have had him for the Linfield game and not to have him for this game is an absolute disgrace. Surely in this day and age things like this can be handled a lot better and a lot quicker. If this is the norm for Irish League football it's absolutely pathetic."

The Glenavon manager also confirmed that midfielder Kieran O'Connor has gone on loan to Armagh City and he was still working on a striker but with the midnight deadline looming was not too hopeful that anything could be completed tonight.

31st August: DEADLINE DAY ACTION

Colin Malone made a couple of late-night swoops before the midnight transfer deadline last night. He has signed Ballyclare Comrades wide man Andy Forsythe. Malone has been keeping tabs on the 22 year old who can play wide left or wide right and was impressed by his performance in the recent Junior International series.

Aidso is Back!

Re-joining Glenavon on-loan from Dungannon Swifts is striker Aidan McVeigh. Colin Malone also confirmed that Atiba Charles is available for selection in Glenavon's next match as is defender Brian Mallon who has returned from holiday.

The Glenavon manager also confirmed that midfielder Kieran O'Connor has gone on loan to Armagh City.

25th August: CLASSY LINFIELD

Linfield 5-1 Glenavon

Glenavon scored the best goal of the night and a certain contender for goal of the season to take the lead in the 20th minute with a cracking 30 yard volley from Gerard McMahon. For a few minutes after this wonder goal Glenavon's confidence clearly grew but the classy Linfield side were level within six minutes through Paul McAreavy and then went ahead in the 36th minute when Tim Mouncey headed home the rebound from close range after Paul Rice had pulled off a great save to deny Peter Thompson. Linfield pressed forward in wave after wave with Glenavon's lack of width leaving the wide open flanks of Windsor at their disposal and the home side could easily have extended the lead on a number of occasions with Ferguson and Thompson guilty of missing gilt-edged chances.

Glenavon players celebrate Gerdie's marvellous goal

Any chance of a Glenavon revival in the second half were effectively killed off when referee Adrian McCourt awarded a penalty for handball against Gavin McDonnell as he chested down a cross on the edge of the area. Glenn Ferguson slammed the spot kick past Rice before Colin Malone was subsequently 'sent off' when he protested that the ball had been rolling for the free kick that led up to the penalty.

Aidan O'Kane made it four in the 76th minute when he smashed the ball home as Rice and Ferguson jumped for a cross, with the ball breaking to O'Kane about 10 yards out. Mr McCourt at this stage was issuing yellow cards like sweets at a kids party, all but one of them to Glenavon players. This spate of cautions inevitably led to a second yellow in the 79th minute for Conor Walsh and Glenavon's miserable night was completed when William Murphy powered home a header two minutes from time.

23rd August: DAVID ATIBA CHARLES

Colin Malone welcomes Atiba Charles

Wednesday August 23rd: As has been widely reported in the local press, Glenavon FC have been working to secure the services of Trinidad and Tobago International defender David Atiba Charles.

In view of the complex procedures involved the Club have refrained from issuing any official statement on the matter until firm information could be provided. The Club is now very pleased to announce that a work permit has been obtained for Atiba and Club officials are this evening in the process of faxing the required information to the British High Commission in Port-of-Spain to enable him to obtain the necessary visa. It is expected that he will arrive in Northern Ireland on Friday morning. Unfortunately he will not be eligible to play in Glenavon's CIS Cup match at Windsor Park that evening.

David Atiba Charles was part of the Trinidad and Tobago squad at this year's World Cup in Germany, though he had to be content with a place on the bench. In T&T he played for the successful Western Connection side alongside Glenavon's Aaron Black who has been very helpful in bringing Atiba to the Club. The SocaWarriors website describes 28 year old Atiba as "A tough, rugged central defender that adds pace and power to any defense. Charles has been one of his clubs main defenders over the past 4 seasons and has recently broke into the T&T national senior team."

Glenavon boss Colin Malone is delighted with the signing "He's a quality player with a number of International caps and it's great for the Club and the fans to have someone of his quality at Mourneview Park."

20th August: HOW DID WE NOT SCORE?

Glenavon 0-2 Larne

That must have been the reaction of most Glenavon supporters as they applauded their team off the pitch despite losing 0-2 to Larne in this CIS Group C fixture.

A cracking 25 yard free kick by Lewis Hamlin gave the visitors a 14th minute lead and an error by Glenavon keeper Paul Rice allowed right back Andrew Cleary's deep cross to reach left back Liam Mullan and he slotted home at the back post in the 31st minute.

Glenavon dominated the possession and peppered the Larne goal with shots and headers, over 20 attempts in all, but they found Larne's young keeper Chris Keenan in inspired form as he denied Nathan McConnell on numerous occasions. The best of his saves came in the 79th minute when he clawed McConnell's header away for a corner.

New signing Paul Knight, who started on the bench, spurned a glorious chance in the 66th minute when he ran onto Hunter's measured through ball but hit his shot straight at the prostrate Keenan. The Dubliner was unlucky in injury time when Keenan strayed out of his area but Cleary got back to head his shot off the line.

"I'm not having a go at the players at all after that performance. I thought they were excellent; they worked very very hard, put a lot into it but got nothing out of it. (From) the chances they created, you'd expect some of those to find their way into the back of the net but today they didn't.

"We gave Larne the lifeline of a free kick, like last week at Distillery, and it resulted in a goal that gave them something to hang onto but I thought, football-wise, there was only the one team in it, from start to finish. We kept throwing men forward at every opportunity and the chances were being created easily enough but the disappointing thing was we never took any of them.

"It was a mixture of good goalkeeping and bad finishing - there was definitely some bad finishing along the way. There were chances where the keeper had lain down and made up their mind for them and they still hit it at him!"

18th August: MORE SIGNINGS

Last night (Thursday) Glenavon completed the signing of two more players. Returning to the Club is full-back Brian Mallon. Mallon, who left to concentrate on GAA, last played for the Lurgan Blues on 8th November 2003 in a 4-2 Premier league victory over Ards. During his previous spell he played 50 games and scored three goals.

Speaking to glenavonfc.com, Colin Malone said "Brian is an excellent player and he is very fit, as was evident when he trained with us last night. He won't be available for selection for three weeks as he has two GAA matches and then is away for a week's holiday but Aaron Black has recovered from his ankle problem and returns to the team for tomorrow and that will give us a boost."

Colin Malone's second signing this week is 25 year-old striker Paul Knight. Knight spent five years at Newcastle United but was involved in a car crash there and returned to Ireland with Shamrock Rovers before moving to UCD recently on an Amateur contract. He scored a brace for the Students' side last weekend.

According to Malone, Knight's clearance has come through this afternoon and he will be involved in tomorrow's CIS game against Larne.

12th AUGUST: BLUES LOSE OPENER

Paul Muir's unstoppable 19th minute free kick gave the hosts the lead but Glenavon could have gone ahead in the 4th minute but for a fine save by Wilton that denied a 14 yard shot from Conor Walsh. Gavin McDonnell's goal-bound header was cleared by the head of Andy Kilmartin in the 29th minute and Wilton stopped Quinn's 25 yard shot, with a bit of difficulty, 10 minutes later.

Colin Malone made two changes at half time bringing on Neil Gawley and Craig McMillen for Quinn and McAlorum and switching the formation from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2, Gawley moving up front and Black slotting into the left side of midfield. This almost paid early dividends with Black almost getting on the end of McConnell's flick on; the alert Wilton dropping on the ball in the nick of time. For the White's, McLaughlin went on a surging run down the right but when he cut inside his shot went woefully wide of the target.

Just after the hour mark Catney and Muir got in each other's way and failed to clear McMillen's cross that ended up dropping nicely for McConnell on the edge of the box but he dragged his shot wide. Murphy then went close for the White's with a great run and shot just over the top.

McConnell's 71st minute header from Reid's cross brought a diving save from Wilton but five minutes later the contest effectively ended when Darren Armour's spectacular overhead kick from 8 yards ended up in the back of the net after Glenavon failed to deal with a long throw in.

McLaughlin could have sewn things up nine minutes from time as he ran onto Murphy's through ball but Rice saved his first shot and McMillen cleared his follow up off the line. Rice then denied Kilmartin after a neat move involving Johnston and Murphy but he was hopelessly exposed when Armour stepped over Bell's low cross and left Murphy with the simplest of back post tap ins in the final minute.

Glenavon Team: Rice, Reid, R Black, McDonnell, C Walsh, McAlorum (McMillen 46), McMahon, Hawthorne, McConnell, Quinn (Gawley 46), Hunter. Unused sub O'Connor.

 MALONE POST-MATCH

Colin Malone was obviously disappointed after Saturday's defeat by Lisburn Distillery "Three nil speaks for itself really. Disappointing start, disappointing game. Distillery were more direct; maybe we tried to play too much football. The second goal was the one that killed us and it was our own fault. We mucked about at the back and got caught and that effectively killed the game.

"Nathan McConnell had a couple of chances and Gavin McDonnell early on with a header but apart from that there weren't too many other players on the park who had attempts on goal and that was extremely disappointing. We looked tired; we didn't look as fit as Distillery and they finished much the stronger side. At 2-0 I thought we threw the towel in really and that was disappointing."

FIXTURE DATE CHANGE

Glenavon's away CIS Cup fixture with Linfield, originally scheduled for Saturday 26th August, will now be played on Friday 25th August with a 7.45pm ko.

5th AUGUST: SQUAD NEWS

Gavin McDonnell has signed for Glenavon

Tonight (Saturday) Colin Malone completed the signing of Gavin McDonnell. McDonnell, who played for Malone at Armagh City before moving to Shamrock Rovers and the ill-fated Dublin City, can play in centre midfield, centre back or right back, his preferred position. He joins recent additions Nathan McConnell, Ciaran Quinn, Ross Black and David Hawthorne in the squad.

Meanwhile Kieran O'Connor has been placed on the transfer list at his own request.

5th AUGUST: BLUES & BHOYS DRAW

Glenavon fell behind to a 5th minute Alan McGrath goal but, in a much improved second half performance, the Blues equalised from a superb Gerard McMahon free kick from all of 35 yards before new signing Nathan McConnell's looping header gave them a well-deserved lead when he rose at the far post to meet McMahon's deep cross. McConnell should have equalised in the first half but hit the post with a penalty that was awarded for a clumsy challenge on Martin Hunter as he got on the end of Neal Gawley's cross.

As Glenavon continued to dominate the second half McConnell's strike partner Ciaran Quinn looked to have scored as he made firm contact with Havern's right wing cross but somehow the keeper scrambled it away for a corner with Glenavon players claiming the ball had crossed the line.

In stoppage time Andy Uprichard unfortunately gave the ball away to Dwyer Lavery but it still took a brilliant long range lob to beat Rice and give Lurgan Celtic a late equaliser. There was still time for a Glenavon winner but Stephen McAlorum was unlucky when his 93rd minute header came back off the post.

Colin Malone wasn't happy with Glenavon's first half performance though he did concede that, with the squad having trained on Saturday morning and with a number of the players having a few knocks and blisters, the players were probably a bit tired.

Looking ahead to next week's season opener he said "Lisburn Distillery is always a tough trip but I am hoping that the new signings will blend in and gel sooner rather than later."

Glenavon line-up: Rice, McAnallen, Reid, McDonnell, Hope, Henderson, McMahon, C Walsh, McConnell, Gawley, Hunter.

glenavonfc.com is the official site of Glenavon Football Club and the support of, and contributions from club officials are appreciated. The webmaster however can give no guarantee that the pages accurately reflect the opinions of individual directors or the management of Glenavon Football Club.