MOYOLA PARK V GLENAVON, A LOOK AHEAD

On Saturday 3^rd October 2026 Glenavon faces Moyola Park at Mill Meadow in its tenth BOYLE Sports Championship fixture. The match kicks off at 6 pm.

Moyola Park has won three and drawn two of its nine Championship fixtures. It has beaten Ballinamallard United (2-0), Armagh City (1-0) and Queen’s University (1-0). In fact, it has kept clean sheets in its last two games. Nonetheless, in early to mid-September the County Londonderry side conceded four goals and six goals in heavy defeats against Harland & Wolff Welders and Warrenpoint Town.

“Moyola have been very inconsistent,” said Blues’ boss Michael O’Connor. “They have drawn with Ards and beaten Queen’s recently yet lost 6-2 at Warrenpoint just before that. I think it is symptomatic of the Championship. Newington conceded five goals against Dundela, conceded just once against us and then kept a clean sheet last weekend.”

O’Connor has watched Moyola’s match against Queen’s. “They defended very well,” he explained. “The two centre halves are no nonsense defenders. McGrath is a teenager but is doing really well for them. Parkhouse is a threat up front. On his day he is one of the best strikers in the league. Plus, they have three combative midfielders who work very hard. So, they have a bit of everything.”

Nonetheless, Michael is confident that Glenavon has enough quality to win the match. “I think it is all about us,” he said. “If we are brave and take the game to them in the manner we have in most of our matches so far, we are good enough to score more goals than them and pick up all three points.”

The Belfast man hopes for a better start than was the case against Loughgall last Friday night. Then the Lurgan side conceded within 90 seconds. “We need to be on it from minute one,” he continued. “We can’t afford to begin the way we did last weekend. We were really sloppy and were punished for it.”

But Glenavon recovered well to eventually win 4-1. “We struggled in the first half,” O’Connor conceded. “The shape didn’t work and the personnel weren’t right. So, we changed things at half time and went with two wingers, Jude [Johnson] and Peter [Campbell]. They went man-for-man all over the pitch. I told the lads to be patient and keep moving the ball quickly. Obviously, the two red cards helped us. But we still had to create openings and take our chances. Sometimes, it can be difficult against a team which has lost one or two players.”

Michael conceded that it was a blow not to be able to include top scorer Ryan Waide in the starting line-up. “Rooster [Ryan Waide] was ill during the week, so we had to re-organise a bit,” he said. “Ideally, he would have started. Jude Johnson was a bit unfortunate to miss out. He was very good when he came on against Newington. However, I felt that the system we adopted that afternoon worked well and didn’t want to disrupt things. But, as I have said, we didn’t perform in the first half and we needed to make changes.”

O’Connor praised Niall Quinn for his contribution after he replaced Harry Murphy at half time. “We brought Quinnie on to play left back and reverted to a 4-4-2 formation,” he explained. “Quinnie was to step into midfield when we had the ball. I don’t think there is anyone who plays that role better than him. He defended when he had to and gave us an extra man in the middle the rest of the time. He was excellent.”

The Blues’ boss also had positive comments about Luke McGerrigan’s display.  “We’ve played him deeper in the last two games,” added Michael. “He is so good on the ball we wanted him to initiative attacking moves. I thought he was very good for the first sixty minutes. Then, when Loughgall was reduced to ten and then nine men, he came into his own. He had almost total control and drove us forward. His performance was a massive part of the reason why we eventually won the match.”

The Belfast man was delighted with the quality of Glenavon’s finishing. “I thought that our four goals were all really good,” he added. “Jordie [McMullan] and Jude [Johnson] linked up well for the second one. Jude took his goal very well. He got into a great position and toe-poked it past the goalkeeper. Then Rooster [Ryan Waide] did what he has been doing all season for his two goals. With 82 minutes gone the score was still 1-1. We were beginning to wonder if we would manage to get a second, but after Jordie put us in front we kicked on and got a third and a fourth.”

O’Connor hopes that the trip to Castledawson will mark the beginning of an improvement in the team’s away results. “Looking back at the Dundela match, which we lost, the first ten or twelve minutes killed us,” he said. “Yet, we hit the crossbar twice in the closing stages and their goalkeeper made three brilliant saves. Luck deserted us that day. But at Ballinamallard we, in attacking terms, played as poorly as we have so far. Even so, it was important to pick up a point. Now we want to build on the two home wins against Newington and Loughgall and start to collect full points on the road.”

Michael reports that teenager Oisin Ward, who was with the Northern Ireland U-17 squad, reported back with a slight foot injury. He is doubtful for the trip to Mill Meadow. Oran O’Kane remains on the injury list and Lorcan Donnelly continues to be monitored by medical staff at the Oval. “I had a long chat with Lorcan last Friday night,” said the Blues’ boss. “He is doing well but the decision about when he is ready to return will be taken following advice from the consultant who is treating him.”

Other Glenavon teams in action:

• Friday 2^nd October 2026 – Linfield Rangers v Glenavon U-18s, Midgley Park, Belfast, kick-off: 8.15 pm.
• Saturday 3^rd October 2026 – Linfield U-16s v Glenavon U-16s, Midgley Park, Belfast, kick-off: 11.30 am.
• Saturday 3^rd October 2026 – Glenavon U-15s v Loughgall U-15s, Lurgan Junior High School 3G, kick-off: 9.30 am.