GLENAVON EQUALISES TWICE TO DRAW WITH LOUGHGALL

Glenavon 2 Loughgall 2

Sports Direct Irish Premiership

Mourneview Park, Lurgan

Saturday 7th September 2024

Glenavon was forced to come from behind twice during an exciting second half to draw 2-2 with Loughgall.

Barney McKeown (75 mins) and James Doona (86 mins) were the men on target for Stephen McDonnell’s side. Substitutes Jay Boyd (67 mins) and Jordan Gibson (84 mins) scored the Villagers’ goals.

Loughgall made the brighter start. In the opening minutes Nathaniel Ferris shot wide, and Ryan Waide tested Deane with a well struck effort.

At the other end Jack Malone shot straight at the wall from a promising free-kick situation.

Midway through the half, Glenavon lost Niall Quinn to injury. James Doona replaced him.

Waide shot over the crossbar from a good position after Len O’Sullivan’s misdirected header dropped at his feet.

Glenavon should have taken the lead when Doona found Peter Campbell inside the penalty area with a low cross. The Richhill man controlled the ball, turned inside a defender but dragged his left foot shot wide.

Minutes later Campbell picked out Michael O’Connor at the far post with a high, looping cross. The well-travelled striker, with a clear sight of goal, headed the ball into the ground and the opportunity was gone.

The home side, now completely on top, squandered another chance when Doona’s shot from 6 yards was headed away by Tiernan Kelly. Matthew Snoddy drilled the rebound wide.

In the closing minutes of the first half, Loughgall offered more of an attacking threat. Former Glenavon favourite Conor McCloskey saw a shot blocked and then hit a free kick from 22 yards inches wide of the post.

In the last minute of the opening period David McDaid went close with a fine volley from 20 yards which went only inches over the crossbar.

Loughgall made a positive start to the second half. Both Waide and Andrew Hoey shot over the crossbar and Adam Towe made a fine break on the right but no one was there to touch his low cross into the net.

Peter Campbell, looking dangerous, found McDaid with a clever pass but the former Coleraine striker shot high and wide from 10 yards.

When Campbell broke on the right and again found McDaid with an incisive pass, the veteran centre-forward shot wide.

Doona made a positive run on the left but shot weakly straight at Nathan Gartside.

In the 65th minute Loughgall introduced substitute Jay Boyd. Two minutes later he gave his club the lead. Balde, also a sub., broke on the left, James Carroll failed to block his low cross and when the ball broke kindly to Boyd, he shot into the net from close-range.

Glenavon equalised eight minutes later. Defender Barney McKeown climbed high to head O’Connor’s long throw-in past Gartside.

Peter Campbell had a shot blocked before substitute Caolan McAleer rattled Gareth Deane’s crossbar with a fine attempt from a free kick.

Loughgall went ahead for a second time when it broke quickly from a Glenavon corner-kick. Balde won the ball from Jack Malone and found McAleer. He released Boyd on the right and the scorer of the first goal picked out Jordan Gibson. Gibson, despite having made a 60-yardrun, coolly slotted the ball past Deane.

Two minutes later Glenavon was level. Substitute Keith Ward found Peter Campbell with his back to goal on the edge of the penalty area. Campbell played a wall pass to Matthew Snoddy. The former Crueman picked out James Doona and the first half substitute beat Gartside with a fine left foot shot.

Twice in the closing minutes Loughgall almost scored a third. First McAleer’s low shot was brilliantly saved by Deane and then the hero of the win at Coleraine dived to get a firm hand to Tiernan Kelly’s ferocious right foot drive.

GLENAVON: Deane, Marshall, O’Sullivan, McKeown, Carroll, Quinn, Snoddy, Malone, McDaid, Campbell, O’Connor, SUBS: Byrne (not used), Toure for Marshall (72 mins), Doona for Quinn (20 mins), Atherton (not used), Ward for Malone (85 mins), McGovern for McDaid (72 mins), Wilson (not used).

Yellow Cards: O’Sullivan (56’), Doona (87’).

LOUGHGALL: Gartside, Rea, Murdock, Kelly, Waide, Hoey, Kerr, Cartwright, Ferris, Towe, McCloskey, SUBS: Turker (not used), McAleer for Waide (79 mins), Gibson for Hoey (79 mins), Balde for McCloskey (65 mins), Francis (not used), Boyd for Ferris (65 mins), Harvey (not used).

Yellow Cards: None.

REFEREE: Ben McMaster.