Blues in the doldrums as slide continues

GLENAVON slumped to a fourth successive Carling Premiership defeat last Friday night as they went down 2-1 to Newry City.

The Blues had the majority of the play at the Showgrounds but a failure to convert plentiful chances combined with two opportunistic strikes from their opponents meant that they had no points to show for their efforts.

Wingers James Costello, in for the suspended Trevor Molloy, and Stuart King put in a series of dangerous crosses throughout the game but there was nobody there to convert the chances and Mark Miskimmin’s effort two minutes after the break wasn’t enough to gain anything from an extremely frustrating night in the County Down city.

Marty Quinn kept the same line-up that had lost out to Linfield except for the forced exclusion of Trevor Molloy, who was sent off against the champions.

However, it was Newry who started the game the brighter and they squandered two good opportunities in the opening minutes.

Andy Graham first played a neat one-two with former Blues striker Marty Haveron and fired his shot straight at Andy Plummer before flicking a header narrowly wide of goal from Haveron’s cross.

Glenavon did find their rhythm soon after though and Mark Miskimmin could have given them the lead but he volleyed straight at Newry keeper Nathan Morley after Kyle Neill had headed Brendan Shannon’s deep cross back into the six yard box.

The away side continued to dominate much of the first half but they found it difficult to break down Newry’s defence and Stuart King headed wide from James Costello’s cross before Tony Grant turned his marker well but saw his shot blocked in the most notable chances.

At the other end, Newry could only force a scuffed Francis Murphy effort until they took the lead seconds before the break.

Gerard Rowe played a neat through pass to Andy Graham who rushed clear of the defence and stroked the ball past Plummer to send his side into half-time with a 1-0 lead.

That didn’t last long after the restart though as Glenavon came out all guns blazing and equalised on 47 minutes. A magnificent Brendan Shannon pass was lobbed over the defence and found its way onto the boot of Mark Miskimmin who did well to volley into the bottom corner.

The Blues continued to pour forward and threatened Morley’s goal on plenty more occasions. Just three minutes later, in fact, they should have taken the lead as Conor Walsh set Miskimmin free. The striker’s low effort was just about stopped by the Newry keeper and it forced Miskimmin wide with the rebound that rattled off the post.

The danger STILL wasn’t over though and it fell to Stuart King who smacked an effort through the crowd of defenders and agonisingly past the far post.

Soon after, Rowe and Miskimmin had tame 20-yard shots easily saved at either end before Conor Walsh dragged an effort just wide of the post.

The Glenavon skipper then went close to edging his side in front on 67 minutes as James Costello’s thumped cross from the right side of goal flew past the goalkeeper, inches in front of Walsh’s despairing dive and narrowly past the far post.

Another Costello cross looked to set up Tony Grant ten minutes later but a fine Matty Hazley tackle denied the striker from six yards out.

And with nine minutes left on the clock, Glenavon were to be punished for all their missed opportunities. Substitute Darren Murray picked up the ball midway inside his own half before neatly ghosting past two defenders and curling a perfect finish into the top corner with the outside of his right boot.

It really was a fantastic goal but its quality will come as little consolation to Marty Quinn and his Glenavon side who have now slid down to seventh place in the Carling Premiership table and are without a point from their last four games.

NEWRY CITY: Morley-Hillen, Black, Convery, Munster, Hagan, Murphy (Hazley 63), Ferguson, Rowe, McDonnell, Havern (Murray 63), Graham (Devlin 83). UNUSED SUBS: Downey, McCoy

GLENAVON: Plummer, Neill, Magee, McDonagh, Shannon, King, Stewart, Walsh, Costello, Grant, Miskimmin. UNUSED SUBS: Harpur, Harper, Haughey, Lavery, Grieve