GLENAVON MAKES IT THREE WINS OUT OF FOUR

Ballymena United 0 Glenavon 2

Sports Direct Irish Premiership
The Showgrounds, Warden Street, Ballymena

Monday 30th December 2024

Glenavon made it three victories out of four with a 2-0 victory against Ballymena United.

Despite the absence of suspended midfielder Jack Malone and injured winger Chris Atherton, Paddy McLaughlin’s side bossed the game for long periods and thoroughly deserved to win.

Peter Campbell (55 mins) and Davy McDaid (67 mins) scored the goals.

Ballymena United’s Sean Brown and Kym Nelson were sent off in the closing minutes.

The Lurgan Blues started the game on the front foot and did not take a step back.

Four times in the opening fifteen minutes they got into promising positions but were unable to deliver an accurate pass or well directed shot.

Peter Campbell flicked the ball to Doona inside the penalty area, but he was unable to reach it; Campbell exchanged passes with Michael O’Connor, but his cross was blocked; O’Connor looked for Campbell again but his through pass was too long; and Doona turned sharply on the edge of the box, but his curling attemptwas just wide.

Ironically, in the 6th minute, Ballymena squandered the best scoring chance of the first half and its only clear-cut opportunity of the entire 90 minutes. Andrew Scott crossed from the right, Ben Kennedy failed to reach it and Alex Gawne, completely unmarked at the far post, unloaded a right foot effort which Mark Byrne saved with his legs.

Matthew Snoddy found Campbell with a quickly takenfree kick but, with the ball on his right foot, he hesitated,and the attempt was blocked.

O’Sullivan and O’Connor combined well to release Campbell on the left, but he again delayed. When he eventually let fly the ball hit a defender and was cleared.

David Toure shot over the crossbar with an ambitious volley from distance.

Niall Quinn failed to hit the target from a free kick after Rhys Marshall had been fouled on the edge of the penalty area.

Ten minutes into the second half Glenavon took a deserved lead. When Stephen O’Donnell failed to clear Len O’Sullivan’s forward pass, Michael O’Connor pounced on the loose ball and pushed it in front of Peter Campbell. The Richhill man burst into the penalty area and beat Sean O’Neill with a right foot drive.

In the 64th minute Scott let fly from 25 yards. The speculative effort was only slightly too high.

In the 67th minute Glenavon was handed a glorious chance to double its lead. The excellent Matthew Snoddy made a telling run from his own half and passed the ball towards O’Connor. The centre forward took possession on the edge of the six-yard box but was upended by Kym Nelson. Referee Shane McGonigle pointed to the penalty spot.

Davy McDaid stepped forward to take the kick. O’Neill dived to his right and made a fine save. However, O’Connor climbed high to head the loose ball into the penalty taker’s path and he nodded it into the net from 5 yards.

Glenavon almost scored a third when substitute Paul McGovern fired wide after Snoddy’s shot had been brilliantly saved by O’Neill

In the 84th minute Sean Brown received his marching orders for a reckless tackle on Len O’Sullivan.

Mark Byrne, a spectator for most of the game, had to slightly re-adjust after Josh Carson’s shot struck a defender. The Newry man, in the end, saved comfortably.

Kym Nelson was dismissed in the 90th minute after picking up a second caution.

With Ballymena down to nine men, Glenavon poured forward in search of a third goal. McGovern shot just wide; McDaid had an attempt blocked and then forced O’Neill to make a smart save; and Campbell blasted the ball over the crossbar.

Another fine performance and excellent result by Paddy McLaughlin’s rejuvenated team.

BALLYMENA UNITED: O’Neill, Rocks, Gawne, Jarvis, Scott, O’Donnell, Brown, McCallion, Kennedy, Devlin, Carson, SUBS: Johnston (not used), Moore for Gawne (69 mins), Nelson for Devlin (half-time), O’Mahony (not used), Loughran (not used), Hawe (not used), Hood (not used).

Yellow Cards: Jarvis (64’), Nelson (67’), Scott (83’)..

Red Cards: Brown (84’), Nelson (90’).

GLENAVON: Byrne, Toure, O’Sullivan, Quinn, McKeown, Marshall, Snoddy, Doona, O’Connor, McDaid, Campbell, Doona, SUBS: Deane (not used), Birney (not used), Lynch (not used), Ward (not used), Doran for O’Connor (79 mins), McGovern for Doona (60 mins), Heaney (not used).