PORTADOWN V GLENAVON, A LOOK AHEAD

On Boxing Day Glenavon faces Portadown at Shamrock Park in its eleventh Sports Direct Premiership fixture since Michael O’Connor’s appointment.

The Belfast man, who has done a fine job reviving the club’s fortunes, hopes to make it two wins in a row for the first time this season. “It will be a very difficult game,” he said. “All of us are fully aware of that. They have a lot of experience and some very talented individuals. They are also usually very strong at home. But we showed against Linfield that we can win against tough opposition. If we play as we did last Saturday there is no reason why we cannot pick up points.”

O’Connor reckons that Glenavon’s predominantly young squad will be able to handle the pressures that come with a Boxing Day derby. “Most of our players have played in big games like this before,” he continued. “It is about playing the match not the occasion. The start will be hectic. It will be 100 mph for the first 15-20 minutes. But, if we settle well, we can cause them problems.”

Michael was understandably delighted with his team’s display in the 2-1 success against Linfield. “To beat a club like that you have to be bang on it from the start. You also need a bit of luck,” he said, “I thought that we played well throughout and deserved to win. We did the horrible side of the game well and adapted to the conditions better than them. We also had quality at the top end of the pitch which they couldn’t handle.”

He felt that getting the basics right was fundamental to the victory. “It was about what I call the non-negotiables,” he explained. “That is working hard, having a good attitude, being disciplined, organised etc. Those were absent from our performance at Solitude. It was those elements which gave us a platform. Then Bridel Bosakani, Corey Smith, Jack Malone and Paul McGovern supplied the quality which we needed in the final third.”

Michael reckoned that Bosakani, who scored that sensational goal against Cliftonville, had his best 90 minutes to date in a Glenavon jersey. “Bridel did the basics extremely well,” the former Northern Ireland international continued. “He harassed the two centre backs. I don’t think either of them had a free header. He held the ball up well and was also a threat in behind.”

O’Connor thought that Bridel’s positive runs created space for Smith, Malone and McGovern. “It gave them the opportunity to get on the ball in advanced areas and offer a real attacking threat,” he said. “Corey Smith was exceptional, particularly in the second half. For the last two or three seasons he has been in and out of the teams he has been with. No one has given him a run of matches. I know what he is capable of and he knows that I believe in him. That is why, I think, he has started to produce the levels which he hit against Linfield.”

Michael also had positive words for Glenavon’s back four. “Paddy [Burns] and Harry [Murphy] were unbelievable,” he added. “The plan was to play a high line and compress the space between defence and midfield. We felt that that would prevent Linfield building attacks. Paddy and Murph were key to that. They were aggressive and brave. In the second half I counted seven offsides which was what we wanted. Plus, they won every header and didn’t allow Fitzy and Morrison to settle. Jordan [McMullan] and Oran [O’Kane] were excellent too. They both defended well and were very good going forward.”

O’Connor also complimented veteran Niall Quinn on his role. “Quinny is a really important player for us,” he said. “He is the most experienced in the squad. He is also one of the most gifted technically. We asked him to play in midfield, and I thought he was as good as anyone on the pitch. He basically ran the game. It is vital that we keep him fit because he contributes so much.”

Michael had no hesitation in bringing Ben Wilson back into the starting line up. “He played for the Under-20s at Coleraine on the Monday night,” the Belfast man explained. “We felt that his energy and talent would really help us. Barney McKeown has done an exceptional job, but he is not a central midfielder. I was delighted that Ben got on the scoresheet. He has a big future.”

The return of Jacob Carney after an almost three month injury lay-off was another surprise in O’Connor’s starting line up. “Unfortunately, Mark wasn’t ready to play so we asked Jacob to take his place,” Michael explained. “Ideally, he would have had a game for the Under-20s first but that wasn’t a possibility. Credit to Jacob because he put his hand up and agreed to step in. Although Linfield didn’t offer as big a threat going forward as we expected, he still made one or two excellent saves and gave the back four confidence with his catching and punching.”

The good news is that both Ben Wilson and Jacob Carney came through the 90 minutes unscathed and are available for selection. Luke Cartwright, Stephen Mallon and Luke McGerrigan are also available. Peter Campbell, after a few days off following the birth of his first child, was assessed on Christmas Eve. He is making good progress and should be back in two or three weeks. Sean Carlin and Kris Lowe are both making positive strides. Whilst Sean might be able to resume light training very soon, Kris may need to wait for another two or three weeks. Mark Byrne has been examined by his dentist. He will need a gum shield before he can return. It should be ready in a couple of weeks.

In early October Portadown defeated Glenavon 3-1 in the season’s first Mid-Ulster derby.

The match at Shamrock Park kicks off at 3-00 pm and is all-ticket. All tickets are sold. The PSNI has provided advice for spectators. See the note elsewhere on this website.

Other Glenavon teams in action:

(Free Admission to all games)

• Monday 29^th December 2025 – Larne Olympic v Glenavon Reserves, Inver Park, 2000 k.o.