GLENAVON V LOUGHGALL, A LOOK AHEAD

On Saturday 7th September 2024 Glenavon faces Loughgall at Mourneview Park.

The home side is again likely to be severely depleted by injury. In addition to long-term absentees Isaac Baird, Calum Birney and Jack Malone, Jamie Doran, Mark Haughey and Harry Lynch are definitely out. Peter Campbell, Rhys Marshall and Niall Quinn will be assessed on Saturday morning.

Lynch and Doran are the latest casualties. “Harry damaged a hamstring in the opening minutes of last Friday night’s match at Ballymena,” explained Stephen McDonnell. “He is going to be out, we think, for several weeks. We don’t know what is wrong with Jamie. He has severe pain in the groin / hip region. Obviously, we cannot say much until we obtain a proper diagnosis.”

Campbell, Marshall and Quinn did not train this week. “We are hopeful that one or two might make it, but we won’t know until Saturday,” added Stephen. “Whilst we want them to play, we cannot afford to take risks.”

Although he was without a plethora of first team regulars, McDonnell was disappointed to lose last Friday night’s match at Ballymena. “We went there with high hopes that, even facing adversity, we might be able to take something from the game,” he explained. “But it didn’t happen for us. Whilst I don’t want to make excuses, if Ballymena had been without Danny Lafferty, Stephen O’Donnell, Josh Carson, Ben Kennedy and Johnny McMurray it would have had an impact on their performance.”

The Dundalk man, despite his injury headaches, is hoping for a good result against Loughgall. “Obviously, they took the league by storm last season and beat us twice in the March / April period,” he said. “But they are likely to be competing in the bottom half of the table and we are at home, so we should be positive. It is a matchwhich, whoever is selected, we will be going all out to win.”

The fixture is sponsored by former Glenavon chairman, Adrian Teer.

The matchball sponsor is the Aiken Family in memory of Henry and Violet Aiken.

The McCracken’s Brewery “Player of the Match” sponsor is the Blues’ Brothers.

Other Glenavon teams in action this weekend:

(Free Admission to all games)

• Saturday 7th September 2024 – Glenavon Reserves v Fivemiletown United, Bob Radcliffe Cup, Valley Stadium, 1400 k.o.
• Friday 6th September 2024 – Glenavon U-18s v Cliftonville U-18s, Lurgan Junior High School 3G, 2000k.o.
• Saturday 7th September 2024 – Cliftonville U-16s v Glenavon U-16s, Three Mile Water Playing Fields, Newtownabbey, 1100 k.o.
• Saturday 7th September 2024 – Larne U-15s v Glenavon U-15s, Larne Academy of Sport, 1015 k.o.