Glenavon v Glentoran
Friday 25 August 2017, 7.45pm.
This Friday evening we play our second away game of the season in a visit to Mourneview Park.
Glenavon have had an unbeaten start to the season and with nine points from three straight wins, go into Saturday’s match two points ahead of us. So we can expect a strong test from an in form team. However we have lost only one of our last seven matches with Glenavon, including three consecutive draws last season.
Gary Hamilton has made a number of close season changes. Former Glens midfielders Ciaran Martyn (Ballinamallard), Kyle Neill and Andy Kilmartin (both Portadown) have gone along with Greg Moorehouse (Sligo Rovers), Aaron Canning (Ballinamallard on loan), David Elebert (Ards), Joel Cooper (USA college football) and the released Guy Bates and James Gray. In have come Andrew Mitchell (Dungannon Swifts), Sammy Clingan (Linfield), Marc Griffin (Drogheda United) Adam Foley (Portadown) and most recently Josh Daniels (Derry City).
Manager Gary Haveron said: “Ross Redman picked up a nasty ankle knock towards the end of last week’s match Against Carrick. He attended training on Wednesday night but he’ll miss Friday night and also our game at Loughgall. I’m pretty confident he’ll be available in a week.
Apart from Ross, everyone else is available who was available last week although I may have to make a couple of changes to replace Ross properly.
Some of the lads who’ve been on the bench or out of the team lately – Daniel Kelly, Conall Delaney, Jonny Addis – were given some time against Carrick U20 on Wednesday night to help keep their fitness up and they all did well. The same with Robbie McDaid, who’s worked very hard in his first ten days with the club and settled very quickly into his new environment.
While I was disappointed not to take all three points against Carrick, I’m generally pleased with the workrate, commitment and positional sense shown by the players in the first three competitive matches. I’m also delighted at how the crowd has been strongly behind what’s a very new team. That can only be good for their confidence as they settle in and fit together as a team”.