GLENAVON DEFEATS NEWRY CITY

Glenavon 2 Newry City 0

Mid-Ulster Cup, Second Round

Mourneview Park, Lurgan

Tuesday 10th October 2023

Glenavon defeated Newry City 2-0 to qualify for the semi-finals of this season’s Mid-Ulster Cup.

Jack Malone (34 mins) and Cohen Henderson (66 mins) scored the goals.

Stephen McDonnell fielded a strong starting eleven. Newry made eight changes from the side which defeated Ballymena United 2-0 at the Warden Street Showgrounds last Saturday.

Glenavon dominated possession for long periods and rarely looked likely to concede a goal.

Early in the game, Isaac Baird, captain for the night, shot over. Then Aaron Prendergast found Cohen Henderson on the edge of the penalty-area. However, the 17-year-old shot well wide.

Five minutes later Cohen appeared to have put Glenavon in front when he found space on the left side of the six–yard box and rifled Conor McCloskey’s cross past Newry goalkeeper Tom Murphy. Alas, an offside flag brought an abrupt halt to the home players’ celebrations.

Stephen McDonnell’s side broke the deadlock after 34 minutes. When the ball broke to Jack Malone on the edge of the penalty-area, he unloaded a right foot shot. The well struck effort took a significant deflection off Newry captain Stephen Moan on its way into the net.

Isaac Baird shot narrowly over, and Conor McCloskey also went close with a long-range effort as Glenavon tried to press home its advantage.

Newry threatened briefly during the closing minutes of the first half. Brian Healy and Thomas Lockhart shot over before Jordan Mooney hit the post with a right foot shot across Rory Brown from an acute angle. Daragh Owens blazed the rebound high and wide.

Early in the second period, Brian Healy shot weakly at Brown.

Soon Glenavon began to reassert its dominance. Conor McCloskey shot just wide of a post from Peter Campbell’s pass and Jackson Nesbitt’s goal–bound shot was blocked by Owens.

Tiernan Mulvenna, industrious in midfield, found Snoddy on the right. When the Belfast man crossed to the edge of the penalty-area, Nesbitt blasted the ball over the crossbar.

Glenavon scored its second goal midway through the second half. Nesbitt released Campbell. The number ten picked out Henderson at the far post with a pinpoint cross. When the teenager’s first effort was saved, he remained composed and coolly slotted the rebound into the net from a tight angle.

Peter Campbell thought that he had snatched a third when he let fly from distance but somehow Murphy kept the ball out.

In the closing seconds Newry substitute Adam Carroll headed wide when well placed six yards out.

GLENAVON: Brown, Kerr, Rogers, Malone, Baird, McCloskey, Prendergast, Mulvenna, Wallace, Nesbitt, Henderson, SUBS: Purvis (not used), Snoddy for Malone (half-time), Campbell for Prendergast (52 mins), Teggart for Nesbit (78 mins), Davidson (not used), Harvey (not used), McNally (not used).

Yellow Cards: None.

NEWRY CITY: Murphy, McKeown, Lockhart, Martin, Moan, B. Healy, Newell, J. Mooney, Poynton, Owens, P. McGovern, SUBS: Maguire (not used), N. Healy (not used), Carroll for B. Healy (80 mins), Hughes (not used), J. McGovern for P. McGovern (60 mins), O’Connor (not used), Forde for Poynton (60 mins).