GLENAVON WOMEN WIN AGAIN

Glenavon FC 6 – 1 Ballymena Ladies

Sunday 19th December 2025
Nelson Centre 7pm

On the final Friday before Christmas Glenavon FC Women played their first of the second round of futsal league matches against Ballymena Utd Ladies.

Ballymena came into this game as reigning champions, having gone unbeaten in almost 2 years (winning every match) and also having won this seasons opening fixture against Glenavon 8-3.

The Lurgan Blues were boosted by the return of Megan McCabe and Sam Kelly to their ranks but lost hat trick hero Becks and others to the Christmas festivities.

The game started cagey with Glenavon dominating the early exchanges but not firing in front of goal.

Jess Rea and Beth Chambers then decided to take things into their hands, opening the scoring as Glenavon moved into a 3-0 lead. Sam Kelly made her comeback from the subs bench and her influence and calming presence allowed Glenavon to enter halftime reasonably comfortable.

Teams that go unbeaten as long as Ballymena, do not sit back and at the start of the second half they came back strongly but Megan McCabe in the Glenavon goal was proving as reliable and dependable as ever. Making a number of good stops at the beginning of the half.

Ballymena scored a rather fortuitous goal to make it 3-1 but nothing that their play didn’t deserve. This however only sparked the Lurgan Blues into life with further goals from Megan Weatherall, Sam Kelly and Jess Rea sealing a deserved 6-1 win.

The result sees Glenavon go top of the table on goal difference going into the festive break, with 3 league games left play, there is everything to play for.

Coach Craig Morrow said after the match “to beat a team that is unbeaten in 2 years, winning every match they have played, just proves what a special group of players we have. At half time it was a case of more of the same but with the expectation that they would come out firing, which is what all good proud teams do. It got a wee bit nervous after half time but the girls just stood on the gas and went away from them again. I want a special mention to Sam Kelly, who because of a long term knee injury suffers after every match, she didn’t want to play but once her competitive juices started flowing she didn’t want to come off in the end. Absolutely outstanding. I only hope she will be able to help see us through to the end of the season”

“I hope the girls will have a great Christmas and a festive New Year which they so richly deserve and then as with any coach, I hope they come back to finish the season and get the rewards their performances deserve.”

One last point Craig made was to say, “Congratulations must also go to both Jess Rea and Megan Weatherall for being selected for the NI representative Futsal team that went to St George’s Park in England, in mid December, for a couple of friendlies in preparation for upcoming Euro qualification games. Richly deserved honour for both.”

SQUAD: 1. Megan McCabe, 5. Alex Winnington; 16. ⁠Jess Rea; 18. Beth Chambers; 20. Megan Weatherall (Capt); 5. ⁠Sam Kelly

GOALSCORERS: Beth Chambers -1; Jess Rea – 3; Megan Weatherall – 1; Sam Kelly – 1.