MARCH 2007
24th March:
SLOPPY DEFENDING
Glenavon 0-3 Glentoran
Glenavon has now conceded at least three goals in each of the last six games and
today defensive lapses have again cost the team dear.
The home side failed to defend a Gary Hamilton free kick into the six yard box
after 19 minutes and this allowed Michael Ward a free header to give Glentoran
the lead. Clearly the lesson wasn't learnt as, ten minutes later, another
Hamilton free from the same spot ended up with Fitzgerald heading past a static
Rice from 6 yards to double the lead.
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| Paul Walsh made a quick recovery
from his shoulder injury |
Paul Walsh, recovered from his dislocated shoulder, blasted over from 18 yards
in the tenth minute after a great cross from Gawley had been squared to him by
Hawthorne.
Glenavon's David Ward headed straight at Elliot Morris in the 41st minute from a
Gerard McMahon cross and McMahon's own headed attempt was held by the Glens
keeper in first half injury time.
After a low-key start to the second half Glenavon created the bulk of the
chances and had a decent shout for a penalty after Leeman appeared to block
Walsh's cross with his hands. Walsh also had a shot cleared off the line by Sean
Ward and David Ward wasted Glenavon's best chance in the 79th minute when he
fired a low shot across goal after good work by McDonnell and a flick on by
Hawthorne set up the chance for him on the left of the six yard area. A goal
then would have given the home side a lift but the game was killed off five
minutes from time when Michael Halliday slotted in from a yard out at the back
post after sub Chris Morgan had supplied an excellent cross to lay it on a plate
for him.
Morris then denied Glenavon even a consolation goal when he saved well from
Magennis and recovered quickly to block Ward's follow up.
"We didn't do enough, we didn't believe in ourselves enough. I thought if we
were positive we could have got something out of the game but to be done by the
same free kick was very disappointing. Both free kicks were knocked inside our
six yard box and really we should have protected the goal better - they were
soft goals; it was bread and butter defending but we didn't defend too well.
"They got their two goals and sat back in the second half and although we
created a fair amount of chances in the second half they were still probably
comfortable. If we'd created more chances in the first half or if one of those
had gone in in the second maybe it would have been different but, either through
good goalkeeping or players blazing wide, the way its been going, it just wasn't
going to go in for us today."
WILLIAM WALKER CLUB HONOUR
JIMMY JONES
The William Walker Glenavon Supporters' Club recently unveiled a commemorative
portrait of Jimmy Jones by local artist Mervyn Cordiner to celebrate Jimmy's'
post-war record of 74 goals in the 1956-57 season.
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| Pictured with the Club's special
guest is Norman Wallace (vice-chairman), Chris Gilkinson (chairman), and
members of the Club. |
VICTORIA CLUB PRESENTATION TO GERARD
Pauline Dalzell and Leigh Livingstone presented Glenavon captain Gerard McMahon
with a cheque towards his testimonial on behalf of the Victoria Supporters'
Club. Gerard thanked the club for it's contribution and more particularly it's
support over the years. He told club members that the spirit in the dressing
room was tremendous and promised that the club would be staying in the Premier
Division this year.
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| Pauline Dalzell and Leigh
Livingstone present Glenavon captain Gerard McMahon with a cheque towards
his testimonial on behalf of the Victoria Supporters' Club. |
17th March:
MAGNIFICENT NINE
Glenavon 3-3 Coleraine
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| David Hawthorne celebrates the first
of his two goals. |
After Paul Walsh was forced off after only four minutes with a dislocated
shoulder and having taken the lead in the 5th minute with a penalty from David
Bracken, Glenavon then had Conor Walsh sent off after just 17 minutes when he
received his second yellow card within a four minute period for an off-the-ball
incident with Stuart Clanachan. Clanachan was fortunate to have escaped with
just a yellow card when appearing to kick out at Neal Gawley after he had been
fouled by the young winger. Curiously, it looked as though it was fourth
official Alan Black who advised the Welsh referee Lee Evans on what action he
should take.
That incident turned into a double whammy for the home side as Gaston scored
from the resulting free kick, Walsh having been his assigned marker and Glenavon
not having been able to reorganize the marking at the set piece.
Things looked bleak for the home side when Boyce scored to put Coleraine ahead
with a well-struck 25 yard shot in the 31st minute and on 35 minutes David
Bracken was unbelievably sent off for only the second time in his career,
apparently for making a gesture at the crowd, when the Welsh referee's assistant
called him over after Bracken had taken a knock moments earlier in a challenge
with a Coleraine defender.
Amazingly, the nine men were level three minutes before the interval when Barry
Meehan, drafted in at left back for Ross Black, missing with a knee injury, beat
two men and chipped over a cross to the back post which Davy Hawthorne nodded in
to restore parity.
Things got even better for Glenavon when Gavin McDonnell headed back Gawley's
long throw for Hawthorne to stroke left footed past O'Hare who had made a
brilliant save just two minutes into the second half when he tipped McMahon's
shot over the bar. O'Hare took a knock during the following corner when he and
Marty Hunter collided and O'Hare's movement may have been hampered as
Hawthorne's low shot across him hit the bottom corner of the net. O'Hare tried
to struggle on but he was forced off in the 59th minute, with goal scorer Boyce
donning the keeper's jersey.
A brilliant turn and low shot by Gawley was the stand-in keeper's first and only
real test, one which he just about managed to pass despite fumbling the ball
around the post for a corner.
Davy Patton spurned a great chance to pull the Bannsiders level in the 75th
minute when he managed to scoop Carson's low cross over the bar from 8 yards.
Rice made good saves to deny Gaston's back post header and two shots from Tommy
McCallion before Davy Patton finally got the equaliser against an exhausted
Glenavon side when he slotted home a left foot shot from the edge of the box.
"It was an unbelievable game but I suppose it shows a measure of our commitment
there today. I thought everybody showed fighting spirit right to the end. When
things went against us, as obviously they did, the commitment of the payers was
never in question. It was a great battling performance but the lads are sitting
in there feeling down on ourselves that we didn't get the result. We went into
the game looking to take all three points and we almost did it but tiredness
eventually told at the end.
"I had to take Ian Wallace off as his legs had just gone, having missed a few
games before today, then Davy Hawthorne had to come off with an injury so I had
to leave Wardy up front even though he was knackered but I thought he was
magnificent today. His pace and that of Gawley gave their defenders real
problems."
FEBRUARY
PLAYER
OF THE MONTH
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| Gavin McDonnell
receives his Player of the Month trophy for February from
sponsor Allen Gamble of Allen Gamble Windows |
10th March:
TWO-GOAL LEAD THROWN AWAY
Newry City 3-2 Glenavon
|
 |
| Paul Walsh scored a superb goal to
give Glenavon a 2-0 lead. |
Glenavon took a well-deserved two goal lead inside half an hour through goals by
ex-City striker David Ward as he calmly took the ball round Robinson for his
first for Glenavon, and a superb lob over the advancing keeper by Paul Walsh after an attempted clearance
was charged down. Conor Walsh had spurned a great chance before Ward's opener
when he got his head to a deep free kick from his namesake Paul but, though did
the right thing in directing the header back across goal, it missed the far post
by a foot with Robinson stranded at the near.
Glenavon was dominating the game and deservedly went ahead in the 19th minute
when Ward ran onto a flick on and rounded Robinson before slotting home from a
couple of yards. Paul Walsh's goal was a delightful lob over Robinson after the
youngster had blocked a clearance and controlled the ball to score from just
outside the edge of the box.
Newry halved the deficit just three minutes after Walsh's goal
with a superbly struck 25 yard free kick from their man of the match Cormac
McArdle.
McArdle had claims for a penalty waved away by referee Mark Courtney just before
the interval as William McFredrick, in goal for the injured Paul Rice, came off
his line as the City winger burst into the box. McArdle was denied twice in
quick succession as he had shots blocked and a header well saved by McFredrick
in the 58th minute but Newry were level a minute later when a low cross from
right winger Darren King was turned into his own net by the unfortunate Conor
Walsh.
Ross Black had a 25 yard free kick well saved by Robinson in the 69th minute and
five minutes later McDonnell couldn't quite direct Paul Walsh's excellent cross
on target from 6 yards as he stretched to make contact.
The killer blow came five minutes from time when former Glenavon midfielder
Kevin Keegan ran onto fellow substitute Andy Crawford's through ball, though
Crawford looked suspiciously offside as he gathered a pass out of defence from
Hudson.
Ward was denied a last-gasp equaliser when Hudson cleared his shot off the line
after McMahon's pass had released him on the right of the Newry box.
Colin Malone bemoaned the decision making of his defenders after the game "We
were very good going forward especially in the first half when we took a
deserved two goal lead but we've surrendered that very cheaply, I suppose. It
was the same old negatives with bad defending when we've had ample opportunities
to clear the ball but we have taken the wrong decisions, whether it's to take
the ball down instead of sending it. It's been our downfall this season, those
sort of crucial decisions that defenders make.
"We put a lot of effort and commitment into this one but we haven't got what we
thought we deserved. We worked terribly hard this week to try and get things
turned around. There were loads of positives throughout the game, especially in
the attacking end, we played some good, open attractive football but our
Achilles heel, making the same mistakes, giving away sloppy goals, has been with
us all season and today was no different. We like to play football but there's a
time and a place for that and at times we should be just clearing our lines."
MALONE ANGERED BY 'MAIL' ARTICLE
Glenavon boss Colin Malone has reacted angrily to the back page article in
this week’s Lurgan Mail which claims there was a ‘bust-up’ following the
last league game at Limavady.
Speaking today to glenavonfc.com, Mr Malone said “There are always
going to be heated debates after certain games but this only shows how committed
and passionate the players and staff are to Glenavon. The disappointing thing is
that discussions that rightly go on in the changing room have been dragged out
into the public domain where they really don’t belong. It wouldn’t happen at any
other Club, be it Manchester United or Hill Street and it does nothing to help
the Glenavon cause.”
The Mail article went on to state that “It is believed the dispute continued
on the team coach” on the way home from the match, when an unnamed player
allegedly questioned the decision to release certain other players, an
allegation vehemently denied by Malone “That simply didn’t happen; it never took
place. There were others on the coach, including club officials and stewards,
besides the players and back room staff, who will verify that.”
The article also quotes a club ‘insider’ alleging that the player criticised
the coaching and training at the Club. Malone points out that “Glenavon training
sessions are open to anyone to come along and judge for themselves. Everyone is
more than welcome to come and scrutinise the training and see for themselves
what goes on, in fact we often have a number of spectators watching us on
training nights.”
|
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| Head Coach Alex Denver and Colin
Malone pictured at a recent game |
3rd March:
FRIENDLY RESULT
Glenavon 3-2 Monaghan United
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| Stephen Magennis equalised for
Glenavon |
The kick off in this friendly was delayed after Paul Rice injured an ankle in
the warm up and William McFredrick had to be sent for to deputise. Monaghan,
skippered by former Glenavon striker Robbie Farrell, took the lead in the 25th
minute when Willie Doyle fired home a right foot shot from inside the box.
Stephen Magennis equalised early in the second half from a low cross by Ross
Black. Davy Hawthorne put Glenavon ahead after good work on the right by David
Ward but United equalised in the 79th minute through one of their substitutes.
Gerard McMahon then scored the winner from the spot six minutes from time after
Adrian Harper was brought down.
Glenavon line-up: McFredrick, Wallace (McAnallen), Beggs (Black), Hunter,
McDonnell, C Walsh, McMahon, Hawthorne, Magennis (Knox), Ward, Meehan (Harper)
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