Friday 9th August 2019, Kick Off 7.45pm
Another new season starts with a visit to Mourneview Park, scene of what was probably our best performance of 2018/19 with our 4-2 Europa League play-off win in May.
Our record in Lurgan is the complete reverse of our home record against Glenavon as we have had just one defeat in our last eleven league visits and no defeats there since April 2015. With a strengthened squad so far this summer, we will obviously be looking to continue that record with another win to kick off the league campaign.
Last season we had four matches against Glenavon, finishing in a win, a draw and two defeats, with the Glens scoring first in all four games. In the May match we won convincingly with our on fire forward line – Darren Murray (2), Curtis Allen and Robbie McDaid (his sixth goal in six games against his former club) – all on target with excellent finishes. On our earlier trip to Lurgan, last September, we took a deserved second-half 1-0 lead through McDaid only to give away an unnecessary penalty to finish the match at 1-1. The game at the Oval in October will be remembered for a long time for the decisions of referee Keith Kennedy rather than for the football played. In that game we led 1-0, again from McDaid before a series of sendings off, a wrongly disallowed goal and a wrongly allowed one sent the Glens support shaking their heads in bewilderment the whole way home. Then in February at the Oval when, after leading through a first half Darren Murray penalty and looking well in control with twelve minutes to go, we imploded when 38-year-old Gary Hamilton introduced himself as a late sub and (not for the first time in this fixture) turned the match – 2-1 Glenavon!
Our own line up will show a few changes since the corresponding fixture last year (which saw John Herron make his Glentoran debut). Our squad has been boosted by the additions of Marijan Antolovic, Hrvoje Plum, Patrick McClean, Jonny Frazer, Cameron Stewart and our latest addition, Elvio Van Overbeek. Gone from the club since last September’s game are John McGuigan, Dylan Davidson, Peter McMahon and Sam Byrne.
Glenavon have had a quieter summer. Glenavon supporter and Editor of the Ulster Gazette, Michal Scott said of their summer activity; “The comings and goings at Mourneview Park have been low-key to say the very least. Former Harland and Wolff Welders striker Matthew Ferguson, son of former Glenavon and Linfield forward Glenn, has been the club's only signing. The Mourneview Park club had signed Galway native Tommy Cooney, but only a week after agreeing a year-long deal the left-sided player was on the move again to a club in Sweden.
While speculation remains over the future of right-back Rhys Marshall, the departure lounge has been relatively quiet with fringe players making up the majority of those who have left the club. Conner Byrne went to Dungannon Swifts, Shea Geraghty signed for Armagh City, Niall Grace – who spent the second half of last season on loan at Cliftonville – returned to Institute, while Cameron Stewart joined the Glens after finishing his loan from Linfield. Stephen McCavitt has gone on loan to Newry City.
Glenavon have had a very good pre-season overall, losing just two of the 13 games they have played since the start of July. Finding the net hasn't proven to be a problem either for Gary Hamilton's men, having scored seven goals on three occasions and having defeated Crumlin United 6-0 on their first outing. In fact, their pre-season record stands at 52 for, 13 against.”
Mick McDermott: “The whole squad is looking forward to this one after a hardworking and fruitful pre-season. With the players we’ve brought in, we have a lot of ability now to be tactically flexible than last season and the ability to rearrange things when necessary. We’ve added pace, width and experience to the squad. We’re unbeaten in pre-season and haven’t conceded in our last few games. The new signings are all available apart from Cameron Stewart whose recovery from a broken toe is coming along well. One or two need a bit of time to get fully match fit but everyone is confident and enthusiastic as we start this first stage of the process of getting this club back to the top. I know all supporters’ buses are full, so some have booked bigger and extra buses. That says everything we need to know about the potential of this club, and we’re all determined to repay their support and give everyone something positive to look forward to.”
