DECEMBER 2005
31st December 2005: GLENAVON
HANG ON FOR A POINT
After taking a sixth minute lead through a well taken Aidan McVeigh goal, the
highlight of a fairly dour first half, Glenavon were left hanging on for the
last ten minutes after Mark Magennis'25 yard free kick gave the hosts, who were
much improved in the second half, a well deserved equaliser.
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McVeigh makes the space for himself to score
the opener |
It took a couple of great saves by Andy McDonald to ensure the visitors made
the long journey back to Lurgan with a point. Before the Roesider's equaliser
Marty Verner missed a great chance to double that early lead but Dwayne Nelson
came out well to deny him in a one-on-one. Neil Gawley, in for the suspended
Shea Campbell, provided the assist for McVeigh's goal but he missed a couple of
good chances himself in the second half.
26th December: FOUR
OFF AS PORTS SNATCH LATE WINNER
'Boxing Day' became the rather literal description of this derby game with
two players from each side being dismissed. The first to see red was Glenavon's
Shea Campbell for an off the ball incident in the 32nd minute that only the
assistant referee seemed to see.
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Shea Campbell sees red in the 32nd minute |
Glenavon were the better side in the first half, even after going down to ten
men but, yet again, chances were missed. McMahon was guilty of the worst miss,
in the 8th minute, when he shot wide from the 'D'. With the goal at his mercy he
should at least have forced Miskelly into making a save. McAlinden had a couple
of headers, one saved by the Ports' keeper and the other over the bar and Walker
fired over from 18 yards after he had weaved his way through the Portadown
defence.
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Barry Reid sticks tight to Gary Hamilton |
At the other end Wes Boyle had a shot blocked by McAlinden and Hamilton fired
over from 12 yards after Clarke's run and through ball had set him up with a
great chance.
In the second half Portadown upped the pace and spread the ball wide to make
the most of the extra man but the goal, when it came, was a very scrappy
close-range effort. Second half substitute Vinnie Arkins flicked on Neill's
77th minute corner and the ball was pushed onto the post but Convery forced the rebound over
the line despite McDonald's best efforts to deny him. Ten minutes earlier the
Blues' stopper had pulled off a brilliant save to push Hamilton's shot from 8
yards over the bar after the striker had shown great skill to turn and find
himself a yard of space.
Late on McAlorum and Boyle were both sent off when they clashed after Boyle
reacted angrily to McAlorum's late tackle which the referee had not penalised. In
the final minute he also dismissed Gary Hamilton when the striker picked up a second
yellow card, for 'simulation' after he dived in the box having burst through
one-on-one with McDonald.
The last time Glenavon beat Portadown in a League game was on 20th March
2001. The Lurgan Blues came away from Shamrock Park with a 2-1 win, Gerard
McMahon getting the opener in the 48th minute and Vinnie Arkins equalising two
minutes later. Mark Glendinning scored the winner five minutes after that.
Post-match Reactions
Jim Brown: "I'm extremely disappointed in the result but not
disappointed in the performance of the players. Once again, and I say this as a
considered opinion, in my opinion, we found ourselves on the wrong side of
refereeing decisions. I've had a chat with the referee and the two linesmen and
their views are different to mine, once again, at Mourneview Park. That's taking
nothing away from the performance of the players against what is obviously a
very good Portadown team.
"We had three chances in the first half and didn't take them. It's like a
stuck record from my point of view: we've got to take a greater percentage of
these chances we create. If you don't take your chances and you go a man down
and a goal down against this team, it's very hard to beat them.
"I was disappointed for the players that the result turned out this way
because they certainly didn't deserve it. I was very proud of them, everyone of
them, the way they worked. Their work rate was superb, the attitude was
brilliant and they applied themselves very very well. We just couldn't get the
breakthrough."
Kieran Harding: "Typical derby game. Derby matches are never going to
be pretty and there's never going to be too much football played and from start
to finish it was a battle for both teams. I certainly though they had their game
plan which was to get stuck into us and make life difficult for us which, to be
fair to them, they did. At the end of the day, we dominated the second half from
start to finish and if there was going to be a winner, it was going to be us. It
was just a matter of how long it would take us to get a goal. It wasn't pretty,
the goal wasn't pretty, the match wasn't pretty but it was three points for us
and that's all that matters.
"It took us a while to adjust after they went down to ten men. I thought they
were probably sharper than us in the first half. We never really got going until
the second half when we sorted one or two things out.
"When teams go down to ten men they battle stronger and scrap even more and
they probably felt they were battling against an unjust decision."
22nd December: BLUES
SNATCH POINT
Glenavon missed the chance to go fourth in the table at Inver Park in
Thursday's rearranged League fixture against Larne. Aaron Black's injury time header earned Glenavon a point and maintained
a sequence that has now stretched to six games unbeaten away from home but Jimmy Brown was disappointed that his side had
once again not killed the opposition off. After dominating the first half
Glenavon had only a 1-0 lead thanks to a superb goal from Marty Verner but Aidan
McVeigh and Shea Campbell missed other chances to extend the lead.
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Marty Verner celebrates scoring the opening goal |
Larne drew level in the 65th minute thanks to a 30 yard deflected shot from
Ross Black, Aaron's 17 year old brother. Five minutes from time Lewis Hamlin's
strike gave Larne the lead but Black headed home Garth Walsh's cross to grab a
deserved point.
Post-match Reactions
Jim Brown: "We had enough chances in the first half to win the game;
there's no doubt about that, there was only one team in it. In the second half
we were playing up the slope and we knew they would launch the long ball and
that's the way it turned out.
"We didn't compete as well as they did in the second half. You can't be in
command of a game for 90 minutes and Larne obviously had to come into it because
they were playing down the slope but I though they competed and they won more of
the second ball than we did and that's what caused us the problems. We didn't
work hard enough and we didn't pick up. The guy that scored their second had a
field day - he was absolutely free.
"I came here to win. A point wasn't good enough. I said to the guys 'Your
incentive for this game is that we had it in our own hands to go fourth. That's
what should drive you on.
"Fair play to Larne. They came into it the second half and caused us problems
but we had three or four clear-cut chances in the first half and we only scored
one."
Kenny Shiels: "When you're in a relegation battle, which we are, a
point won is two points dropped. We've left ourselves in the position that, if
we lose our next match (against Ards on Boxing Day) we are bottom.
"I can't say if we deserved to win the match or not. On the second half
showing I thought we did. In the first half, out of our back five, there's four
teenagers, and the communication skills between them were poor in the first
half. We addressed that at half time: I just asked them to communicate because
we were getting cut open with this long threaded ball."
BLACK BANNED
Central defender Aaron Black has been given a one match suspension with
effect from Monday 26th December. This means he will miss the Boxing Day clash
with Portadown and leaves Jim Brown a few defensive headaches. With Johnny
Montgomery on his way back to Dungannon Swifts, Brown will find his defensive
resources stretched to the limit in what was already likely to be a difficult
fixture.
IRISH
CUP DRAW
Dundela back at Mourneview
The draw for the 5th Round of the Nationwide Irish Cup took place today and
Glenavon have a home tie against Dundela on Saturday 14th January. Mervyn
Bell's First Division side, who will be playing in the Steel and Sons Cup Final
against Crusaders this Saturday, will be familiar opponents, with Glenavon
having 'done the double' over the East Belfast side in last season's Division 1
championship. Currently Bell's side lies in third place in the First Division
table, having won 3, drawn 3 and lost just one league game this season.
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Aidan McVeigh in action against Dundela last
season, a game in which he scored a brilliant hat trick |
McVEIGH
DOUBLES UP
BLUES WIN AGAIN ON THE ROAD
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Aidan McVeigh slides the first goal past the Sky
Blues keeper and over the line despite the valiant effort of Ciaran
Donaghy, with Shea Campbell waiting to tap in any rebound. |
Aidan McVeigh opened the scoring for Glenavon in the 10th minute and scored what proved to be the winner in the 74th minute. In between Sweeney, from
the spot, and Kelbie with a fierce volley, had given Ballymena a 2-1 half time
lead.
Glenavon had played well in the first half but the Sky Blues had taken their
chances. In the second half Glenavon put a shaky looking Ballymena defence under
pressure, and, after McVeigh clipped the cross bar in the 49th minute,
deservedly drew level five minutes later when Verner slotted home Campbell's
cross after good play by McVeigh and Black, with the central defender venturing
well forward on the left.
Two minutes later Glenavon should have been in front after McFredrick's poor
punch went straight up in the air but McVeigh's shot went right across the goal
line and Campbell couldn't make contact at the back post. With just over 15
minutes remaining McVeigh did give his side the lead when he forced the ball in
after McFredrick saved Campbell's low shot from O'Connor's cross.
Ten minutes from time a poor back pass from Barry Reid allowed Sweeney to
reach the ball before McDonald and the Glenavon keeper was sent off for
allegedly handling outside the box as he blocked Sweeney's attempted lob. Shea
Campbell donned the keeper's jersey and caught a couple of crosses but was not
really put to the test with the Glenavon outfield players superbly holding off
the Ballymena challenge.
The last time Glenavon won a League game at Warden Street was over five years
ago, a 2-1 victory on the 11th November 2000, to be precise. The Glenavon goal
scorers on that occasion were Marc McCann and Darren Murphy, who curled in a
great free kick winner five minutes from time.
Post-match Reactions
Jim Brown: "To say I am delighted would be an understatement.
Absolutely fantastic - coming to Ballymena which is always very difficult and
after the CIS games, we played them twice and couldn't beat them, to win, even
after the goal keeper was sent off, the whole lot's just unbelievable. I'm proud
of every single one of them.
"At half time I just said that we wanted to score first: if there was going
to be another goal we had to score it. I felt that overall in the first half
that we were the better side although they took their chances and we didn't so
really all I said to them was keep doing the same things.
"Aidan McVeigh was outstanding. I thought he was under severe pressure
and the big lad Watson was tight. Aidan did very well to keep the ball and hold
it up for us until he got support and of course he weighed in with two goals.
"Maybe we should give up home advantage! How do you explain it. You've come
away against a Ballymena side who were coming off a great 2-1 victory against
the Glens."
"I changed the tactics today: I played three at the back with two markers and
a sweeper. I made a conscious decision to play the three strikers because I
wanted to go for it, I wanted the win and thankfully it worked.
"I don't want to single out any particular player but Scott Walker was
absolutely outstanding. His work rate, his timing, his passing of the ball, was
all excellent.
"Shea might stay in nets for the next game! He seems to be better at stopping
them than he is at scoring!"
Aidan McVeigh: "The first goal there was a rather
bad header back by Gary Smyth. It was an awkward height for me but I managed to
get something on it. Lucky enough the keeper was caught wrong-footed and it had
enough on it to go over the line. It was over definitely, yeah.
"The second came from a shot by Shea, I think, and the defender went to clear
it but luckily I got there first and it ended up in the bottom corner.
"After last week, we needed to give Jimmy a very good performance. We let him
down a lot last week; we were poor but this has lifted us."
HYNDES BACK AT MVP
| Steven Hyndes has re-signed for Glenavon FC. He
should turn out against Ballymena Utd Reserves at Mourneview this
weekend provided his registration is cleared by the IFA. The popular
midfielder/fullback is unavailable for selection in the 1st Team
Squad until the transfer window opens. |
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MID
ULSTER CUP
QUARTER FINAL DRAW
| Newry City |
v |
Annagh Utd |
| Dungannon Swifts |
v |
Lurgan Town Boys |
| Loughgall |
v |
Laurelvale |
| Glenavon |
v |
Lurgan Celtic |
All games to be played on 31st January 2006, ko 7.30
20th December: GLENAVON NEWS
Glenavon manager Jimmy Brown was tight-lipped on Monday about
rumours that goalkeeper Stuart Addis is poised to make a return to
Mourneview Park. The 26 year old Dunmurry man played in the Blues’ team
that finished runner-up in the 2000-01 title race and is understood to be
surplus to requirements at present club Dungannon Swifts. With regular net
minder Andy McDonald due to serve a suspension against Larne following his
sending-off at the Ballymena Showgrounds last Saturday, Glenavon might
attempt to obtain the permission of the IFA to bring in another keeper in
time for Thursday night’s re-arranged league fixture. "I am looking at a
number of options for the game at Inver Park, but at the moment I am not
sure how we will be fixed," Brown explained. "It looks as if the most
likely scenario is that young reserve Stephen Carroll will come into the
team. I would not be unduly concerned about that because, according to
what I have been told, he did very well when he played in the senior side
during the latter stages of the First Division programme last season.
We’ll wait to see what happens."
Brown was unaware of reports that Johnny Montgomery has agreed a
deal with Dungannon which will see him return to Stangmore Park for the
second time. "I know nothing about that," added Jimmy. "All I can say is
that Johnny’s contract is up on 31st December and he indicated
to me that he was unlikely to remain at Mourneview Park. He mentioned that
Dungannon was the club that he would like to join, but I haven’t heard
anything further from him. I would be disappointed if he had agreed a deal
with the Swifts and not let me know about it."
Meanwhile Glenavon travels to Inver Park, Larne on Thursday night
looking for the win that would lift them into fourth place in the Carnegie
Premier League table, just three points behind Boxing Day opponents
Portadown. "Kenny Shiels’ men suffered an embarrassing defeat at Windsor
Park on Saturday so they will be really fired up for this one," said
Brown. "However, after beating Ballymena 3-2 we can go there with
confidence. To go into Christmas in the top four would be a tremendous
achievement."
9th December: A WARD NIGHT
David Ward was a hero and a villain, both twice in the one night, for City.
He scored the visitor's second and third goals after Shane McGeown had given
them a first half lead from a twice-taken free kick. Then he gave away a penalty
for handball which Shea Campbell converted and shortly after got himself a
straight red card when he reacted aggressively after Scott Walker had tripped
him. Bizarrely the referee, Paddy McFadden, in what seemed a clear case of
mistaken identity, yellow carded Glenavon skipper Davy McAlinden for the trip.
It needed the intervention of his assistant, Andi Regan to point out his error.
The handball decision was also hotly disputed by the Armagh bench and, to be
honest it did look a rather generous decision.
Report.
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Jim Brown: Not happy at another poor home
performance |
McMAHON PICKS UP
NOVEMBER POM AWARD
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Gerard McMahon receives his November Player of the
Month award from Allen Gamble of Allen Gamble Windows |
9th December: "THREE
POINTS ARE A MUST"
That's Jim Brown's view of tonight's home League fixture against
Mid-Ulster neighbours Armagh City. "It’s a local derby and will be a battle to
the finish. A difficult game to win but if we are to maintain our position we
need to do just that. Three points tonight are a must to keep us on track for a
mid table position", he writes in the match programme.
Last season City 'did the double' over Glenavon, two results which helped
seal their promotion to the Premier League as First Division Champions.
Brown is also looking ahead to the transfer window in January and has his eye
on a number of players. Meanwhile the injury situation seems to have eased and
he hopes to have almost a full squad to select from.
More
MATCH
PREVIEW
Form Guide - Last 5 League Games
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W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
| Armagh City |
0 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
13 |
| Glenavon |
2 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
Armagh City, of course, defeated Glenavon twice last
season. Brown intends to treat Colin Malone’s side with full respect. "I
have seen Armagh play several times in the past few seasons and know their
strengths," said the Belfast man. "They are a big, physical side who will
come and make their presence known. We’ll need to fight and scrap for
every loose ball and match them for effort. If that happens, we have a
chance of playing the type of football that should bring us some joy in
their penalty-area. On the other hand if we shirk any tackles, or show any
weakness in the competitive side of the contest, we could be left with our
tails between our legs. This is a local derby. It is not going to be easy.
However, there is enough ability in our team to win."
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