GLENAVON BATTLE BACK TO DRAW WITH DUNGANNON
Glenavon 1 Dungannon Swifts 1
Sports Direct Irish Premiership
Mourneview Park, Lurgan
Saturday 21st September 2024
Glenavon came from behind to earn a deserved point against in-form Dungannon Swifts.
Adam Glenny (13 mins) scored for the visitors. Barney McKeown (76 mins) replied for the home side.
Dungannon had a half chance in only the fourth minute. Niall Owens crossed from the left, but John McGovern scuffed his shot and the ball was cleared.
The County Tyrone men took the lead when Leo Alves crossed from the right after James Knowles’ attempted centre had been blocked. The unmarked Adam Glenny climbed high to nod the ball past Gareth Deane from eight yards.
Midway through the first half, Glenavon squandered an opportunity to equalise. Peter Campbell crossed from a dead ball situation on the left but Michael O’Connor, standing free at the near post, failed to make a clean connection with his head and the ball spun harmlessly wide.
Less than sixty seconds later David Toure whipped the ball across the face of the six-yard box, but no one was there to apply a finishing touch.
When Steven Scott crossed from the right McGovern, under pressure from Toure, shot from 12 yards but the ball went wide.
Then the former Newry City striker attempted to lob Deane from 30 yards. Again, he was off target.
In the 35th minute Harry Lynch had a chance to equalise when he got his head to Jack Malone’s corner-kick. However, his connection was not a good one and the ball flew wide.
At half-time Glenavon replaced James Carroll, who had been booked in the first half, with Keith Ward. The veteran midfielder provided the impetus for the home side’s recovery with his tireless running and impressive array of accurate short and long passes.
In the 60th minute Ward sliced open the Swifts’ defence with a superbly weighted through ball to leave David McDaid with only Patrick Grogan to beat. However, the diminutive centre forward went to ground and appealed for a penalty-kick. Referee Tony Clarke waved his claims away and booked him for simulation.
In the 68th minute Dungannon substitute Bobby-Jack McAleese was sent off after using excessive force in a tackle on Matthew Snoddy. It proved to be the turning point of the game.
Afterwards Glenavon pushed extra men forward and looked much more likely to score than it had at any point in the game.
Peter Campbell offered an increasing threat on the left. Ward released him with a brilliant pass, but the Richhill man’s penetrating centre was cleared. Then he crossed for Snoddy to glance the ball wide.
It was Barney McKeown who scored the home side’s equaliser. The Newry man back-headed David Toure’s throw into the heart of the penalty area. When Steven Scott cleared, McKewon was well placed to cushion the ball with his chest and fire it past Grogan with his left foot. It was an exquisite finish.
In the 83rd minute substitute Jamie Doran almost won it for Glenavon when he turned on the edge of the penalty area and let fly with a blistering right foot shot. Grogan did well to fingertip the ball over the crossbar.
GLENAVON: Deane, Toure, O’Sullivan, McKeown, Carroll, Lynch, Snoddy, Malone, McDaid, Campbell, O’Connor, SUBS: Byrne (not used), Doran for Toure (76 mins), Haughey (not used), P. McGovern for Campbell (83 mins), Atherton for O’Connor (half-time), Ward for Carroll (half-time), Wilson (not used).
Yellow Cards: Carroll (41’), McDaid (60’), McKeown (81’). Atherton (82’).
DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Grogan, S. Scott, Owens, Knowles, J. McGovern, Dillon, Alves, Glenny, McGinty, Maguire, Wallace, SUBS: Henderson (not used), J. Scott for Owens (71 mins), Boyd for Maguire (66 mins), Taggert (not used), Hutchinson for Alves (66 mins), McAleese for Knowles (57 mins), Hegarty (not used).
Yellow Cards: Glenny (7’), Dillon (90+4’).
Red Card: McAleese (68’).
REFEREE: Tony Clarke.
