Away days no good for Glenavon’s coffers

The post-split Carling Premiership fixtures have been announced with Glenavon first travelling to face Lisburn Distillery on Saturday, April 7, before visiting Carrick Rangers on Tuesday 10th (kick-off 7.45pm). The final three games see the Blues hosting Donegal Celtic on Saturday 14th, visiting Ballymena a week later and finishing the season against Dungannon Swifts at Mourneview Park on Saturday, April 28.

The two home games mean Glenavon will have played just 18 Carling Premiership games at Mourneview Park this season with Donegal Celtic, Ballymena and Carrick all having 19 home games and Lisburn Distillery and Dungannon 20.

Gary Hamilton says the current set-up has negative financial implication for the clubs with fewer home games.

“That’s the way we are at the minute but obviously if a team plays two home games less than another team it’s going to cost them a few thousand pounds whatever way you look at it. As a manager too you want to play as many home games as you can but there’s nothing we can do,” he said.

The gaffer also says that his side need to pick up a minimum of nine points from their final five league matches if they are to avoid both the automatic relegation spot and the promotion/relegation play-off.

“I wouldn’t say the first two games (against Lisburn Distillery and Carrick) are make or break but I think we still need to win three of the last five games to get to where we want to be, maybe even more than that,” he told the ‘MAIL.’

“Hopefully last Saturday’s win will kick us on now and we can take confidence out of that game. It’s only one match though and we’ve got five big games coming up. They’re five cup finals in our eyes and we need to bring that effort, work-rate and desire into those games. If we do that, I’ve no doubts that we’ll stay up.

“One game doesn’t get you to where you want to be so we need to put in that effort for the rest of the season.”