HEROIC GLENAVON PERFORMANCE SECURES UNLIKELY POINT
Glenavon 0 Larne 0
Sports Direct Irish Premiership
Mourneview Park, Lurgan
Tuesday 17th September 2024
Glenavon performed magnificently to hold the Sports Direct Premiership champions, Larne, to a scoreless draw.
Despite the gross disparity of resources between the two clubs and the continued absence of a number of first-team regulars, Stephen McDonnell’s side demonstrated the value of grit, discipline, organisation and wholehearted commitment.
But it was not always pretty. During the first half, the home side ceded ground and possession and, for long periods, was encamped in and around its own penalty area. Yet, it was a measure of Glenavon’s confidence and Larne’s impotence that as the final whistle neared, the former looked as likely to break the deadlock as the latter.
The visitors dominated from the start. Sam Todd shot high and wide and Matthew Lusty rattled the crossbar with an ambitious long-range attempt.
When Lusty cleverly pulled the ball back from near the by-line, Sean Graham shot weakly from 6 yards allowing Gareth Deane to make a comfortable save.
Chris Gallagher perhaps thought that he had scored when he volleyed goalward from 15 yards. However, although no corner-kick resulted, Deane seemed to fingertip the ball to safety.
Twice in the closing minutes of the first half, Joe Thomson attempted to score. His initial shot was blocked on the edge of the penalty area and his second effort fizzed narrowly over the crossbar.
Glenavon’s only positive attacking move of the entire 45 minutes led to a moment when Michael O’Connor was dispossessed by Todd with a well-timed tackle as he was poised to shoot.
Lusty forced Deane to react quickly with a low shot early in the second half. The Glenavon custodian, whose handling was faultless throughout, confidently caught the ball.
In the 56th minute Larne almost scored. Sean Graham crossed to the back post for Thomson to nod the ball into Andy Ryan’s path. The striker made a firm connection with his head, but a combination of Harry Lynch and a diving Deane cleared the danger.
Slowly Glenavon began to emerge from its defensive shell. A precise passing move led to a throw in on the right. When David Toure launched the ball into the penalty area, James Carroll climbed high, but his header was saved.
In the 64th minute Jack Malone delivered the ball to the feet of David McDaid, 8 yards out from goal. When the one-time Inver Park favourite attempted to gain control, Gallagher intervened to concede a corner-kick.
Twenty minutes later Barney McKeown, subsequently named ‘Player of the Match’, made an ‘Andy Doyle-esque’ run, deep into Larne territory, but lost possession.
In the 85th minute Larne seemed certain to score. Mark Randall found Tomas Cosgrove on the right. When he crossed, Andy Ryan contacted the ball in mid-air with his left foot. Somehow Gareth Deane stopped it with his hand and James Carroll hooked the shot off the line.
As the game clock slipped into injury-time, the cheers in the main grandstand grew louder. But the visitors had not quite given up their attempt to snatch a late winner.
Ryan headed over and Levi Ives’ free kick attempt from a dangerous position between the touchline and penalty-area was grasped by Deane.
Ironically, Steven Gregg blew the final whistle after Larne had cleared a corner-kick.
Surely, Glenavon will not produce a more well received or heroic backs-to-the-wall display this season.
GLENAVON: Deane, Toure, O’Sullivan, McKeown, Carroll, Lynch, Snoddy, Malone, McDaid, Campbell, O’Connor, SUBS: Byrne (not used), Marshall (not used), Haughey (not used), McGovern for McDaid (78 mins), Hamilton (not used), Wilson (not used), McGerrigan (not used).
Yellow Cards: None.
LARNE: Ferguson, Want, Ives, Thomson, Graham, Nolan, Todd, Cosgrove, Gallagher, Ryan, Lusty, SUBS: Besant (not used), Randall for Graham (69 mins), O’Neill for Gallagher (79 mins), Magee (not used), Marsh (not used), Seary (not used), Sloan for Thomson (69 mins).
Yellow Cards: None.
REFEREE: Steven Gregg.
