Following two back-to-back game postponements, Glenavon get ready to return to action after their Boxing Day victory over Portadown.
The Lurgan Blues start off the new year with Irish Cup action, as they make the long journey to Ferney Park in Ballinamallard for the 5th round of the Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup.
Speaking to the Glenavon website ahead of the fixture, Gary Hamilton said:
“Apart from Mark Haughey we have a clean bill of health.
“Obviously we’ve lost Micheal Glynn but our new signing, Aaron Rogers, comes into the squad.
“It’s a competition that we want to do well in but we know it’s not going to be an easy game tomorrow. It’s their cup final as they’re playing against a team from the Premiership. They’re at home as well so they’ll fancy their chances of causing an upset.
“We need to be on our game tomorrow – we need to have the right attitude, we need to be professional and we have to start well and show them the respect they deserve. Hopefully we can do that, get on top of the game and then our quality will show.
“With it being a cup match we are only going to get one bite of the cherry. You don’t get a second chance. So we need to be on it.
Everybody knows there’s always one upset in the Irish Cup, there’s one in every round. We see it all the time and we need to make sure it’s not us.
“Ballinamallard got to the final not too long ago while they were in the Championship, so they’ve got pedigree in terms of doing it.
“We need to make sure that we go there and start with the right attitude, the right frame of mind and the right desire. We need to make sure that we match their endeavour and the spirit that they’re going to have. Hopefully we can have a bit of quality and somebody can step up to the plate and make their mark in the game.”
Ballinamallard United have advised that supporters can pay at the gate. Tickets cost just £10/£7.
LAST TIME OUT
Glenavon were soundly beaten 4-0 by Crusaders in the first round of the Irish Cup at Mourneview Park on Friday night.
The away side grabbed the lead on four minutes when Jordan Forsythe’s low shot from outside the box beat James Taylor in the Glenavon goal.
The Lurgan Blues had two goals ruled out for offside in the opening stages of the second half before Paul Heatley rounded James Taylor and scored Crusaders’ second in the 58th minute.
Ben Kennedy curled home a superb third goal for the visitors nine minutes later after he’d been played in by Forsythe, and Heatley rounded off a commanding victory for Stephen Baxter’s side when he raced clear on the right and scored from a narrow angle.
