Glenavon 6 Ards 3

Monday 18th July 2023

Glenavon continued its build-up to the new season with an entertaining 6-3 victory against Ards at Mourneview Park.

Andy Mooney (14, 80 mins), Bobby Deane (37, 71 mins), Aaron Rogers (25 mins) and Jack Malone (63 mins) scored the goals for the home side.

Ethan Taggart (30 mins) and Salou Jallow (65, 84 mins) replied for the visitors.

Glenavon goalkeeper Rory Brown also made a fine save from Jallow’s late penalty-kick.

The Blues’ summer signings, Mooney, Deane, Niall Quinn and Stephen Teggart all played for ninety minutes. Robert Garrett, struggling recently with Achilles problems, also took a full part.

Throughout the game Ards failed to deal with crosses into the penalty area. Glenavon, which had looked reasonably solid during the first half, later became careless, conceding twice and giving up a penalty-kick.

Andy Mooney stooped to open the scoring with a low, but powerful header, from Niall Quinn’s corner-kick. Aaron Rogers added a second when Malone found him with a defence-splitting pass. Bobby Deane made the score 3-0 with another header. This time Malone was the provider with an accurate cross.

Stephen Teggart might also have got amongst the first-half goals. First his close-range attempt was saved by Neil Shields after a brilliant three-man move which had also involved Quinn and Malone. Then Teggart accepted a pass from Peter Campbell but shot over the crossbar.

Peter Campbell threatened to score with an early effort which went narrowly wide and a later drive which was saved at the base of a post.

Ards’ goal, its only noteworthy attempt during the first 45 minutes, was a fine shot from 20 yards by Ethan Taggart after Sean Ward had lost possession.

The second half burst into life after a quiet opening 18 minutes when Jack Malone exploited more holes in the visitors’ defence to score from the edge of the six-yard box.

The County Down men responded immediately. Conor Scannell left the home defence flat-footed with a well weighted pass and Salou Jallow provided a neat finish.

Andy Mooney almost grabbed his second, but his effort was cleared off the line. From the resultant corner kick, Bobby Deane directed Niall Quinn’s cross into the netwith some aplomb.

In the 80th minute Peter Campbell crossed from the left and Mooney scored from close-range.

Ards, boosted by the introduction of a number of substitutes, scored its third goal when the centre of Glenavon’s defence was unpicked for a second time and Jallow shepherded the ball into the net.

In the closing minutes Jallow found himself free again but this time Rory Brown stopped him with a strong challenge. Referee Tom Symington pointed to the penalty-spot, but Brown dived to save the Belfast-born Gambian’s poorly directed shot.

GLENAVON: R. Brown, Kerr, Ward, Deane, Rogers, Garrett, Quin, Teggart, Mooney, Malone, Campbell, SUBS: Shiels (not used), Hughes (not used), Brown (not used).