Sports Direct Irish Premiership

The National Stadium, Belfast

Saturday 20^th September 2025

Glenavon suffered its eighth successive defeat, a 2-0 reverse against Linfield.

Kyle McClean (25, 65 mins) scored both goals for the home side.

Although the visitors battled hard, they struggled to retain possession and offered virtually nothing as an attacking force.

In the 12^th minute Euan East headed wide at the far post from McClean’s well taken free kick.

Jacob Carney moved quickly to save another dangerous cross by McClean which eluded everyone and threatened to sneak in at the far post.

Chris McKee headed narrowly wide from Sean Brown’s cross.

When East pulled the ball back from the left, Callumn Morrison shot wide at the back post.

A mix-up from a throw-in led to Linfield’s first goal. Barney McKeown threw the ball to Sean Carlin who lost possession. Matthew Fitzpatrick flicked the ball into McClean’s path, and he shot high into the top corner from 16 yards.

Fitzpatrick headed not far wide from another penetrating cross by East.

McKeown almost released Davy McDaid with a precise through pass, but the ball bounced awkwardly for the former Coleraine striker and the chance was gone.

Carney saved well from Samuel Taylor’s attempt from distance.

McClean almost grabbed a second when his cross from a corner-kick on the left struck the face of the crossbar and went past.

McKee stooped to head Brown’s centre wide of Carney’s left post.

McClean’s poor header from Morrison’s cross went yards over.

McClean shot well over the crossbar.

Linfield scored its second after Stephen Mallon misdirected a pass and Euan East broke on the left. When the full back found Fitzpatrick inside the penalty area, he laid the ball off and McClean shot past Carney from 15 yards.

The goal by the Belfast Blues’ “Player of the Match” was the last noteworthy incident.

LINFIELD: Johns, Brown East, Shields, Hall, Taylor, Morrison, Baird, McKee, Fitzpatrick, McClean, SUBS: Walsh (not used), Roscoe-Byrne (not used), Millar for McKee (66 mins), Offord for Taylor (66 mins), Allen for Shields (72 mins), Yates for Morrison (77 mins), Archer for Baird (66 mins).

Yellow Card: Hall (47’).

GLENAVON: Carney, McMullan, O’Kane, Cartwright, McClelland, McKeown, Carlin, McDaid, McGovern, Malone, Kee, SUBS: Byrne (not used), Murphy (not used), Mallon for Kee (62 mins), O’Connor for McDaid (62 mins), Bosakani for McMullan (81 mins), Smith for McGovern (62 mins), McGerrigan (not used).

Yellow Card: Malone (32’).

REFEREE: Ross Dunlop.