Tag: Glenavon
-
Principled Loughgall’s fantastic season down to spirit, trust and honesty in themselves
Dean Smith didn’t pull any punches at the weekend when reflecting on the pre-season perception of his newly-promoted Loughgall outfit. “If you’d have read every report the week before the season started, every single person had us tipped to go down – and straight down,” he said. “Probably with five games to go, they had…
-
Larne and Linfield’s six-hits keep heat on at top… and Jordan Stewart’s return can boost Blues
There’s no stopping Linfield and Larne at the top of the table, with both sides barely breaking a sweat on their way to comprehensively hitting their visitors for six at the weekend. The Blues swatted away the challenge of Newry City at Windsor Park but they were matched goal for goal by the Invermen, who…
-
Linfield are big favourites to retain BetMcLean Cup… but Portadown won’t go down quietly
The second of the Irish League’s three senior cup Finals is now upon us – the one that has, in recent years, attracted the biggest crowd of the lot. The NI Football League’s bold call to make the BetMcLean Cup decider a Sunday special, a day of the week when Irish League football has very…
-
Rise of future stars like Lewis Barr ensures Crusaders set up nicely for post-Baxter era
It will be a summer of seismic change at Crusaders knowing that two of the club’s all-time greats will depart – but with a new era soon dawning, not all change will come with apprehension. After 19 years, Stephen Baxter will exit the Seaview hotseat as the Crues’ most iconic figure, while one of his…
-
Improving Dungannon Swifts perfectly placed to launch shock surge into European Play-Offs
With just five rounds left until the split in the Sports Direct Premiership, permutations all across the league are being discussed ahead of a crunch climax. A three-team title race is now led by Larne, inspired to a 2-0 triumph over Loughgall courtesy of Scottish striker Andy Ryan’s brace on Friday night. That fired the…
-
Five managers who could succeed legendary supremo Stephen Baxter at Crusaders
By Callum McFadden Stephen Baxter has announced that he is stepping down as Crusaders manager in the summer of 2024 after 19 years in charge of the club. Speculation will be rife in the coming months as to who may replace the man who is the longest-serving manager in world football at the moment. I…
-
Momentum is the key theme as BetMcLean Cup Semi-Final double-header tees up tasty decider
Another BetMcLean Cup showpiece has been determined after the two semi-finals reached their conclusions during the week. Surviving overnight rain and frost to take place as scheduled, the premise of a last-four clash is based on being cold-blooded when your chances come along – and while neither encounter may not live too long in the…
-
BetMcLean Cup’s Mid-Ulster dynamic makes for an intriguing pair of Semi-Final duels
On Tuesday night, the BetMcLean Cup semi-finals were finalised at last and we now know exactly who will compete for a spot in the prestigious decider. One side of the draw features a mouthwatering Mid-Ulster Derby at Mourneview Park, where a high-stakes tussle between Glenavon and Portadown takes centre stage and the bragging rights of…
Football Chatters 