PLEASE NOTE: Tonight’s game has been called off following a pitch inspection, due to a frozen pitch.
Gary Hamilton is optimistic going in to Tuesday night’s game with Coleraine (7.45pm kick-off, coverage begins on 247.tv/niprem at 7.30pm).
The team was buoyed following Saturday’s 2-1 win over Ballymena United, a victory which he felt was “a long time coming”.
“We’ve deserved a lot more out of the games that we’ve played,” he said after Saturday’s game.
“I thought we were really good, really dominant from start to finish. Their goal has taken the gloss off it but hey, as long as we won the game that’s the most important thing.”
Tonight’s game is another in a tough run of fixtures which sees the team play on Saturdays and Tuesdays right through until the middle of March.
“There’s no rest for the wicked, that’s the way it’s going to be for the next few weeks,” he added.
“It’s tough for part-time players but all we can do is ask that they go out and give me their all, which they have been doing in every game this year bar the Portadown game. They’ve done the football club and me proud. Hopefully that win will give them a bit of confidence.
“You never get an easy game against Coleraine when Oran Kearney is the manager – we’ve found that out over the years but there’s no reason why we can’t get a result.”
There will be a late test on the fitness of Sean Ward, while Robbie Garrett misses out due to picking up five yellow cards so far this season.
LAST TIME OUT: Glenavon and Coleraine produced an eight-goal thriller at Mourneview Park on Saturday afternoon, eventually sharing the spoils in a pulsating 4-4 draw. As well as the eight goals, there were six yellow cards, a red card, and two penalties, not to mention a hat-trick.
The Bannsiders took the lead in the second minute when Stewart Nixon headed in Lyndon Kane’s cross, before defender Gareth McConaghie was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Peter Campbell.
Ben Doherty doubled the away side’s lead on 18 minutes by taking advantage of a defensive mix-up, but Glenavon hit back to level the score with goals from Conor McCloskey and Daniel Purkis.
Doherty grabbed his second from the penalty spot in the 41st minute to hand Coleraine a 3-2 lead at the break.
Oran Kearney’s men found themselves two goals ahead for the second time when Doherty completed his hat-trick on 58 minutes.
Back came Glenavon again, however. Michael O’Connor slotted a penalty past Gareth Deane on 69 minutes to reduce the deficit, and former Coleraine striker Matthew Fitzpatrick drew the home side level in the 78th minute.
There might even have been a last-gasp winner, as the Lurgan Blues had strong penalty appeals turned down by referee Evan Boyce in the final minute of injury time when substitute Conan Byrne went down under a challenge from Stephen Lowry.
OFFICIALS
REFEREE: Tony Clarke
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Adam Jeffrey, Neil Gillespie
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Barry Monaghan
SPONSORS
MATCH SPONSOR: McCleary & Company Ltd. Chartered Accountants
BALL SPONSOR: Kyle Savage
MAN OF THE MATCH SPONSOR: Hubert Watson
