MATCH REPORT: Glenavon 1-5 Newry City

Glenavon 1–5 Newry City

Danske Bank Premiership

Mourneview Park

Tuesday 30th August 2022

Match report by Calum Jones

Glenavon suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat at the hands of newly promoted Newry City at Mourneview Park on Tuesday evening.

The visitors raced into a three-goal lead inside the opening quarter of an hour thanks to a brace from John McGovern and a Daniel Hughes effort.

Glenavon wasted a great opportunity to get back into the game late in the first half when Peter Campbell saw his tame penalty saved by Steven Maguire.

Substitute Declan Carville headed home a fourth Newry goal on 83 minutes before Glenavon substitute Josh Doyle notched a consolation for the Lurgan Blues four minutes later.

But the visitors compounded Glenavon’s misery by adding a fifth goal two minutes from time when another substitute,James Teelan, finished off a swift counterattack.

There were less than two minutes on the clock when Newrygrabbed the lead. Noel Healy played a one-two with Hughes from a throw-in before delivering a cross from the left. McGovern rose unchallenged close to the penalty spot and steered his header into the far bottom corner.

Just seven minutes later McGovern had his and Newry’s second. Glenavon’s Matthew Fitzpatrick was dispossessed deep in the Newry half and Thomas Lockhart was allowed to carry the ball over the halfway line unopposed before sliding a through-ball into the path of McGovern. The Northern Ireland U21 player took one touch to bring the ball into the penalty area before steering a shot past Glenavon goalkeeper Rory Brown at the near post.

The away side added to their lead on 15 minutes. When the ball fell to Glenavon captain Mark Haughey in his own half he tried to play a pass to defensive partner Danny Wallace, but he presented the ball to Lorcan Forde instead. Forde then slipped a ball through for Hughes and he struck a shot across Brown which found the far corner despite the goalkeeper getting his gloves to it.

A shellshocked home side tried to force their way back into the game as the first half wore on. Conor McCloskey managed to find the target with a low shot from a free kick in the 22nd minute, but it was an easy save for Newry goalkeeper Maguire.

McCloskey was involved again eight minutes later when he sent over a cross from deep on the right flank which found Campbell at the back post. The winger’s header looked to be on target until it was blocked by Stephen Moan.

The Lurgan Blues were presented with a great chance to get themselves back into the match on 37 minutes when they were awarded a penalty. Philip Donnelly was penalised for handling the ball when Robert Garrett attempted to flick it over him, and referee Steven Gregg pointed to the spot. Campbell took the spot-kick, but his effort was tame, and Maguire saved with his feet.

There was one final chance for Glenavon to pull a goal back before the half-time whistle in the first minute of stoppage time. Haughey met a McCloskey corner at the near post, but the defender headed over the bar from a couple of yards out when he really should have scored.

Truthfully, Glenavon carried little threat for much of the second half and rarely looked like forcing their way back into the game, although young substitute Aaron Prendergast did see a good low effort from distance go narrowly wide of Maguire’s left-hand post in the 62nd minute.

Haughey did well at the other end three minutes later to get across and block a shot as McGovern went in search of a hat-trick.

On 79 minutes McCloskey picked out substitute Sean Carey with a cross–field pass from left to right. For a split second it appeared as if Carey’s first-time effort was going to loop over Maguire and into the net, but the goalkeeper was able to make the save.

Any slim hopes of a Glenavon fightback disappeared in the 83rd minute when Carville stooped to power home a header following Lockhart’s corner to make it 4-0 to Newry.

When Doyle raced clear and slotted past Maguire after latching onto a flicked header from Fitzpatrick four minutes later it was nothing but a consolation goal, and even that was ruined for the Mourneview faithful when the away side notched a fifth on 89 minutes. Teelan broke at pace down the right flank and raced clear of the Glenavon defence before confidently placing the ball past Brown and into the net.

It is not just the scoreline which is disappointing for Glenavon, but also the manner of the performance, especially as it came just days after a superb 3-1 victory at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

Gary Hamilton will be hoping his side can bounce back on Saturday (3rd September) when they host Carrick Rangers at Mourneview Park. Kick-off is at 3pm.

MATCH SPONSOR – Edsell Muldrew

BALL SPONSOR – FMI.ie

MAN OF THE MATCH SPONSOR – Barry Craig and Ethna Ferran

Glenavon: 1. Rory Brown, 3. Micheal Glynn, 5. Mark Haughey (C), 7. Matthew Snoddy, 9. Matthew Fitzpatrick, 10. Peter Campbell, 16. Isaac Baird, 17. Conor McCloskey, 23. Daniel Wallace, 28. Robert Garrett, 30. Sean Ward

Subs: 21. Aaron Prendergast (for 28. Robert Garrett, 61’), 26. Joshua Doyle (for 7. Matthew Snoddy, 61’), 22. Sean Carey (for 10. Peter Campbell, 67’), 20. Conor Scannell (for 3. Micheal Glynn (82’); not used: 2. Conor Kerr, 4. Calum Birney, 24. Jamie Doran

Goals: 26. Joshua Doyle (87’)

Yellow cards: 7. Matthew Snoddy (46’), 9. Matthew Fitzpatrick (51’), 23. Daniel Wallace (52’)

Newry City: 1. Steven Maguire (GK), 2. Darren King (C), 3. Noel Healy, 9. Daniel Hughes, 10. Thomas Lockhart, 16. John McGovern, 17. Andrew Martin, 18. Stephen Moan, 21. Philip Donnelly, 24. Lorcan Forde, 35. Dale Montgomery

Subs: 15. James Teelan (for 9. Daniel Hughes, 76’), 19. Brian Healy (for 24. Lorcan Forde, 76’), 8. Declan Carville (for 21. Philip Donnelly, 80’), 33. Donal Scullion (for 16. John McGovern, 84’), 43. Jamie Clarke (for 10. Thomas Lockhart, 84’); not used: 13. Niall Brady, 22. Favour Kwelele