Dungannon Swifts 1-0 Glenavon
Danske Bank Premiership
Stangmore Park
Saturday 26th November 2022
Match report by Calum Jones
Glenavon fell to a 1-0 defeat against Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park on Saturday afternoon.
Rhys Campbell scored the only goal of the game in the 70th minute when he converted from a James Knowles corner.
Campbell threatened as early as the second minute of the game. Goalkeeper Declan Dunne punted the ball upfield and Michael O’Connor produced a superb first touch to cushion it into the path of Campbell. The forward’s low shot from 30 yards out was decent, but Rory Brown was equal to it, diving down to his right to make the save.
On 23 minutes it was Brendan Barr who had a go from distance for the hosts. This time the ball went wide of the target.
Three minutes later, the ball was almost forced in at the back post for Dungannon following a corner kick, but Glenavon managed to survive.
The home side continued to look the likeliest team to score as the first half wore on, although they were being restricted to efforts from distance. Captain Ryan Mayse hit the target with his low shot in the 37th minute, but it was a simple save for Brown.
Glenavon did manage to threaten at the other end a couple of times towards the end of the first period. Peter Campbell whipped a great ball across the penalty area on 41 minutes. Strike partners Matthew Fitzpatrick and Eoin Bradley both came close to getting on the end of the cross, but neither player could manage to find the key touch.
Micheal Glynn sent a low shot not too far wide of the far post a minute later after letting fly from 25 yards, but to be fair, Dunne likely had it covered anyway.
Dunne had to have his wits about him six minutes into the second half when Glenavon captain Danny Wallace overhit a deep cross. The Dungannon goalkeeper had to tip the ball over the bar to keep it out of his net.
O’Connor came very close to breaking the deadlock for the Swifts on 58 minutes. Mayse curled over a cross from the right, and O’Connor just got his head to the ball ahead of goalkeeper Brown. When the ball came down, O’Connor turned it goalward, but Sean Ward got back to cover and hooked the ball brilliantly off the line.
There was another huge let-off for Glenavon five minutes later, and the Lurgan Blues had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping the scoreline at 0-0. Knowles clipped a ball towards the box and Joe McCready helped it on his way with a flicked header which evaded substitute Calum Birney and sent Campbell clean through on goal. Campbell looked certain to score when he shot from eight yards, but Brown made an excellent save to keep the game scoreless.
Glynn fashioned a shooting chance for himself at the other end of the field in the 65th minute, but in the end, he dragged a low left-foot shot wide of the near post from inside the box.
The winning goal arrived on the 70-minute mark. Knowles swung over a corner from the left and Campbell met it on the six-yard box to volley high into the net. It’s fair to say that Glenavon will be disappointed with how they defended the set-piece.
Dungannon threatened again two minutes after Campbell’s goal when McCready sent a shot wide of the far post.
Campbell might have got his second of the afternoon in the 83rd minute when he cut in from the left and hit the target with a well-struck shot, but Brown was able to make a decent save to deny the Dungannon attacker.
The only time Glenavon really looked like grabbing an equaliser was in the last action of the match when substitute Conor Scannell delivered a corner from the left. It looked like the ball was going to be forced over the line at the back post, but the Swifts survived the goalmouth scramble to hold on for a much-needed victory.
A tough run of fixtures for the Lurgan Blues starts next Friday night (2nd December) when they welcome league leaders Larne to Mourneview Park. Kick-off will be at 7:45pm.
Dungannon Swifts: 1. Declan Dunne (GK), 3. John Scott, 5. Caolan Marron, 6. James Knowles, 8. Ryan Mayse (C), 9. Joseph McCready, 10. Michael O’Connor, 11. Rhyss Campbell, 16. Brendan Barr, 27. Ethan McGee, 35. Mayowa Animasahun
Subs: 23. Michael Ruddy (for 10. Michael O’Connor, 85’), 19. Marc Walsh (for 11. Rhyss Campbell, 88’); not used: 13. Adam Groogan (GK), 17. Cahal McGinty, 22. Ben Cushnie, 42. Steven Scott, 48. Gerardo Bruna
Goals: 11. Rhyss Campbell (70’)
Yellow cards: 6. James Knowles (17’), 35. Mayowa Animasahun, 9. Joseph McCready (82’), 3. John Scott (87’), 19. Marc Walsh (90+4’)
Glenavon: 1. Rory Brown (GK), 2. Conor Kerr, 3. Micheal Glynn, 6. Andrew Doyle, 9. Matthew Fitzpatrick, 10. Peter Campbell, 16. Isaac Baird, 23. Daniel Wallace (C), 29. Jack Malone, 30. Sean Ward, 80. Eoin Bradley
Subs: 7. Matthew Snoddy (for 29. Jack Malone, 46’), 4. Calum Birney (for 6. Andrew Doyle, 46’), 20. Conor Scannell (for 10. Peter Campbell, 72’), 26. Joshua Doyle (for 2. Conor Kerr, 79’), 21. Aaron Prendergast (for 80. Eoin Bradley, 80’); not used: 8. Michael O’Connor, 17. Conor McCloskey
Goals: None
Yellow cards: 30. Sean Ward (37’), 6. Andrew Doyle (43’), 80. Eoin Bradley (56’), 9. Matthew Fitzpatrick (79’)
Referee: Lee Tavinder
