GLENAVON ACHIEVES FAMOUS WIN AGAINST LINFIELD

Glenavon 2 Linfield 1

Sports Direct Irish Premiership

Mourneview Park, Lurgan

Saturday 20th December 2025

Glenavon made it four home wins out of five since the appointment of manager Michael O’Connor with a famous 2-1 victory against Premiership title challenger Linfield.

Prodigious teenagers Ben Wilson (60 mins) and Paul McGovern (70 mins) scored the goals for the Lurgan club. Substitute Charlie Allen (90+3 mins) netted a late consolation for the visitors.

Whilst the first half was a cagey affair, after the break both teams were more expansive. Many expected Linfield to prevail but it was O’Connor’s side which showed the initiative, scored twice in a dominant ten minute spell and did not look like losing.

Jack Malone, a frequent scorer in recent weeks, shot well wide with the first attempt of the game.

Corey Smith, who had his best 90 minutes to date in a Glenavon jersey, was unfortunate when his effort from 20 yards was blocked by Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew.

Harry Murphy, playing alongside Paddy Burns in the centre of defence, glanced a Smith cross from a free kick well wide.

Harry Murphy sends the header crashing against the crossbar which led to Ben Wilson’s opening goal.

When Malone found Smith on the edge of the 18 yard box, the Coleraine loanee jinked inside and shot past the far post.

In the 32nd minute Linfield had its best chance of the first half. Matthew Fitzpatrick headed on Ethan McGee’s long throw and Isaac Baird pounced on the loose ball but blasted wide from 10 yards.

Six minutes later Samuel Roscoe-Byrne headed Kirk Millar’s corner kick across the face of goal, but Baird nodded the ball wide at the near post.

In the closing moments of the half Millar released the lively Callum Morrison with a lofted pass. The frontman controlled the ball well but Jacob Carney saved his left foot attempt with relative ease.

Early in the second period, Paul McGovern had a go from 20 yards. His right foot effort hit Ben Hall on the back and went out for a corner-kick.

When the set piece was cleared Mulgrew delivered a threatening pass to Morrison who was breaking quickly on the left pursued by Jordan McMullan. With a goal seeming likely, Carney stayed on his feet, protected the net and made a partial clearance with his foot. Although the loose ball fell to Kyle McClean, the midfielder blasted the ball over the crossbar from 15 yards.

In the 53rd minute Millar delivered a tantalising cross from the left which Niall Quinn stretched to head clear as in-form Fitzpatrick lurked.

Four minutes later Fitzpatrick escaped Quinn’s attentions at the far post and got a firm head to Millar’s corner kick. The excellent Carney got both hands to the Belfast man’s goalbound effort and palmed it over the crossbar.

At the other end McMullan’s deep cross from the right led to a corner-kick. Murphy climbed high to head Smith’s swinging delivery against the crossbar and 17 year old Ben Wilson bundled the ball into the net.

Ben Wilson bundles the ball into the net from a few yards to set Glenavon on course for a famous win.

The goal visibly lifted Glenavon. Corey Smith broke on the left and delivered a threatening low cross which McClean cleared at the concession of another corner-kick.

The excellent Quinn sent Smith clear again with a brilliant pass. The young winger confidently cut inside and unloaded a right foot shot which Chris Johns stooped to gather.

McGovern found McMullan on the right. When the defender whipped in a dangerous cross, Roscoe-Byrne stretched to clear it for a corner-kick.

Quinn elected to play a short pass to Smith from the set piece. He easily beat Mulgrew and crossed from the right touchline. Although, following a goalmouth melee, the ball was partially cleared, Jack Malone clipped it back into the danger zone. Paul McGovern was the first to react. He beat Johns with a left foot shot which took a deflection on its way through a wall of defenders and crept in at the post.

Paul McGovern shoots past Chris Johns with his left foot to give the Lurgan Blues an unlikely 2-0 lead.

When substitute Charlie Allen crossed, Matthew Fitzpatrick swung his right boot but failed to connect and Morrison blazed wide.

Then Fitzpatrick turned provider. He pulled the ball back from the right, but Allen’s shot was blocked by a defender.

Although Linfield had the lion’s share of possession in the final twenty minutes, it did not penetrate the Glenavon defence until the closing seconds. When Chris Johns’ goal kick was headed on, Allen controlled well and shot past Carney from 12 yards.

In the final moments Fitzpatrick got his head to Johns’ clearance, but Carney dived on the ball as Chris McKee prepared to pounce.

Referee Ian McNabb’s final blast on the whistle was greeted with huge cheers in the Geddis Grandstand and Crescent End as home fans celebrated a vital win.

GLENAVON: Carney, McMullan, Quinn, Murphy, Burns, O’Kane, Wilson, Malone, Bosakani, McGovern, Smith, SUBS: Hamill (not used), Cartwright for O’Kane (90+1 mins), McKeown for McGovern (84 mins), Mallon for Smith (84 mins), McClelland (not used), Kee (not used), McGerrigan for Wilson (68 mins).

Yellow Card: Smith (19’).

LINFIELD: Johns, Roscoe-Byrne, McGee, McCullough, Hall, McClean, Millar, Mulgrew, Fitzpatrick, Morrison, Baird, SUBS: Walsh (not used), Allen for McGee (79 mins), McKee for Baird (66 mins), Yates for Millar (79 mins), Archer (not used), Brown (not used), Taylor for McCullough (87 mins).

Yellow Cards: None.

REFEREE: Ian McNabb.