INJURY TIME EQUALISER DENIES GLENAVON THREE POINTS
Armagh City 2 Glenavon 2
BOYLE Sports Championship
Holm Park, Armagh
Saturday 22nd August 2026
Armagh City scored an injury-time equaliser to deny Glenavon three points at Holm Park.
Dundalk loanee T.J. Molloy netted the dramatic leveller. He also scored the home side’s first goal after 7 minutes with a shot from distance.
Paddy Burns (6 mins) and Ryan Waide (58 mins) twice put the visitors in front.
The impressive Molloy’s early snapshot was saved easily by Lorcan Donnelly.
Glenavon took an early lead when the unmarked Paddy Burns headed past Conner Byrne at the near post following a pinpoint cross by Peter Campbell.
Armagh equalised straight from the restart. Odhran Smyth found Molloy on the left and he beat Donnelly with a brilliant dipping right foot shot from more than 25 yards.
Ethan Devine’s header from 12 yards was saved easily.
Ryan Waide stepped up to take a free kick on the edge of the Armagh penalty area but lost his footing and the ball trundled harmlessly into Byrne’s waiting hands.
Jude Johnson turned sharply and curled a shot inches too high.
When Johnson’s cross from the right was only partially cleared, Waide had time and space on the edge of the box but fired over.
Tyler Doherty made a penetrating break on the right, the influential Noeem Oladunjoye laid the ball off and Leon Keogh dragged a low shot narrowly wide of the far post.
Conner Byrne dived to save Johnson’s low shot from 20 yards.
Jude Johnson takes the ball past Armagh City full back Ultan McLaughlin during the first half.
Devine found Campbell who picked out Waide but the former Carrick Rangers striker, although well placed 15 yards out, could only produce a weak attempt which the Armagh goalkeeper saved easily.
Harry Adair had a go from distance but cleared the crossbar.
City captain Callum Parker’s ambitious effort from 50 yards had Donnelly scrambling to his right but the ball was just too high.
Glenavon almost took the lead twice in the first few minutes of the second period. First, Connor Byrne brilliantly saved Ethan Devine’s low shot following a long pass by Harry Murphy. Second, Byrne made an even better stop from Ryan Waide’s left foot drive after good work by Peter Campbell.
Veteran midfielder Mark Patton was well placed to kick Adair’s shot out of the six yard box after the Glenavon defence failed to clear T.J. Molloy’s dangerous cross.
When the ball was partially cleared, Campbell, well placed on the edge of the penalty area, drilled a left foot drive wide.
The visitors were awarded a penalty kick when Waide was impeded by Byrne as he attempted to get his head to Alex Watson’s lofted pass. Waide took the kick himself and confidently sent the Armagh goalkeeper the wrong way.
In the 70th minute Glenavon failed to take a gilt-edged opportunity to seal victory. Campbell delivered an early cross from the left and Jude Johnson, completely unmarked eight yards from goal, let fly. However, Byrne threw himself to his left to make another outstanding save.
Ethan Devine headed over at the back post from Johnson’s well directed cross.
Byrne dives full length to tip Johnson’s 70th minute right foot shot over the crossbar.
Devine got himself in front of a defender and unloaded from point blank range but again Byrne kept the ball out.
Substitute Brandon Doyle found space at the near post, but he failed to make a clean connection and Byrne saved easily.
With barely a minute left Favour Kwelele unleashed a speculative drive from the right which flashed just wide of Donnelly’s goal.
Moments later Cian Wilson found himself in space, but the Glenavon goalkeeper denied him with his legs.
T.J. Molloy silenced the visitors’ large support when he nipped in between Harry Murphy and Donnelly to head Wilson’s cross into the net.
Ryan Waide’s second half penalty sends Armagh goalkeeper Conner Byrne the wrong way.
ARMAGH CITY: Byrne, Parker, Smyth, Adair, Keogh, Doherty, Doogan-Ballantine, Molloy, McLaughlin, Oladunjoye, Gorman, SUBS: Geraghty (not used), Spain (not used), Russell for Smyth (80 mins), Kwelele for Adair (80 mins), McDonnell for Keogh (80 mins), McGee for Oladunjoye (56 mins), Wilson for McGee (80 mins).
Yellow Cards: Oladunjoye (13’), Wilson (90+3’), Parker (90+5’).
GLENAVON: Donnelly, McMullan, Burns, Murphy, Cartwright, Patton, Johnson, Watson, Devine, Waide, Campbell, SUBS: Byrne (not used), McGerrigan for Patton (68 mins), B. Doyle for Waide (81 mins), Healy for Johnson (72 mins), Allen (not used), Quinn (not used), A. Doyle (not used)
Yellow Card: Watson (74’).
REFEREE: Ryan Hanna.
