Warrenpoint Town v Glenavon, Saturday August 11 2018, 3:00pm

Danske Bank Premiership Matchday 2.

“The boys can take a lot of confidence from the performance last week and the chances they created but we need to be more clinical in front of goal tomorrow. Hopefully if we can do that we stand a good chance of getting three points but if we don’t bring last week’s performance into the game tomorrow, as always in the Irish League, if you’re not on your game then any team in this league can beat you.

“We have to go there, believe in ourselves and be positive, show them respect and play to the best of our ability and do the things we’re good at. If we do all that we obviously stand a chance of beating any team in the league. On the flip side of that, if we don’t do the things that we’re good at, we don’t play the way that we can play, then any team also has the capabilities of beating us on any give day. We want a good positive result tomorrow and hopefully come up the road with three points.”

Rhys Marshall returns from his one match suspension but Sammy Clingan will need a game or two with the Reserves to get back to match fitness from a calf strain. Conor McCloskey is also on the comeback from a hamstring injury he picked up in a pre-season game but he played 45 minutes for the Reserves on Wednesday night and had a good game.

Former Glenavon players Simon Kelly and Marc Griffin missed last week’s opening fixture so they are yet to make their debuts for their new team. Simon was on a ‘B’ License coaching course and Marc had an injury which could also keep him out tomorrow but Simon could be in line for a start against his old team mates.

“We know what it’s like when players go up against their former teams – it’s very common that they come back to score a goal or haunt you; it happens everywhere around the world and we’ll have to be on our guard.

“Simon is a top quality player who I really admired and really enjoyed working with. As I said at the time, he’d be a big loss but from his perspective he got offered a job as the coach in a first team and it probably was the right move for him and we wish him all the best – bar when he plays against us!”

Simon Kelly could make his Warrenpoint debut tomorrow. Photo by Maynard Collins

“Griff scored a lot of good and really important goals for us last season and it was just due to his changing work circumstances that he decided to move closer to his home in Dundalk.”

Speaking of ex-players scoring against their old teams, Stephen Murray scored his first Glenavon goal in a 3-3 draw with Warrenpoint at Mourneview in January this year, a few weeks after making his transfer window move to Mourneview Park from Millfield.

Stephen Murray celebrates after putting Glenavon back in the lead against Warrenpoint. Photo by Alan Weir

Head to Head

Last Ten League Games

Glenavon W6 D3 L1 F22 A13

Stat-a-Fact

• Since Warrenpoint Town was promoted to the Premiership in 2013, the two teams have faced each other 12 times in the league with tomorrow’s hosts winning only one game in that time, a 2-1 home victory in March 2014. That was the final game between the sides in Point’s debut season.
• There is an average of 3.5 goals per game when the two sides meet

Match Officials