Sean Ward welcomes first clean sheet thanks to Glenavon ‘good character’

Sean Ward celebrated a first clean sheet of the season as a statement of Glenavon’s future intent and ambition.
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Ward helped the Lurgan Blues home at 0-0 from a fixture that finished honours even at Mourneview Park as Glenavon and Linfield suffered a red card apiece on the way to picking up a point apiece.

And the aftermoon featured mixed emotions for the full-back in the context of Glenavon’s season.

“We can be happy with the draw but disappointed with how the season has gone in that we’ve dropped points in games we should have won,” said Ward. “So when you get performances like today you ask questions and reflect, you take the positives then move on.

Sean Ward (left) helping Glenavon secure a clean sheet and point from Saturday’s draw with Linfield. Pic by Pacemaker.Sean Ward (left) helping Glenavon secure a clean sheet and point from Saturday’s draw with Linfield. Pic by Pacemaker.
Sean Ward (left) helping Glenavon secure a clean sheet and point from Saturday’s draw with Linfield. Pic by Pacemaker.

“These are massive games and it’s why you play, you want to test yourself against top teams and top players.

“Today has to be the template now moving forward.

“You open up the floor in the dressing room after a bad performance and we’re grown men who can have those conversations.

“Then it’s done and you move on, we’ve a good result now today and you back yourself and grow in confidence.

“We’ve really good players, players who have been around the league for a long time and been successful.

“And no-one’s come to Glenavon to see out a career, players have come here to be successful.

“So we know the quality is there and we’re never surprised with a good performance but probably more disappointed when we lose, so harder on ourselves as we know how good we can be.

“Overall, we are probably happy with the draw considering how we conceded late on at Portadown and conceded late on against Ballymena.

“In a perfect world you get that level of performance every week...you are striving for a level of consistency as, that way, you continue to climb league tables and get success.”

Ward and his Glenavon team-mates had to shift focus after the interval in the aftermath of red for Andrew Doyle and Linfield’s Christy Manzinga.

“We were happy to go into the break at 0-0, regroup and come again,” said Ward. “Then early in the second half we had the red cards which interrupted the flow.

“They had so many corners, I think more than 10 in the second half alone, so what’s encouraging is how we were able to hold out.

“Plus, we broke ourselves a few times as well so it’s not as if it was backs to the wall...it was good character.

“Everything from Linfield was wide and then when it came into the box we were dealing with it.

“So we are very happy that, number one, we didn’t concede late on as we’ve had that a couple of times this season.

“It’s also nice to have that first clean sheet of the season...it’s something now to build on.”

GLENAVON: Brown, Haughey, A.Doyle, Waterworth (Beggs, 80), O’Connor, Snoddy, McCloskey, FItzpatrick, Wallace, Garrett, Ward.

Subs (not used): Stafford, Hall, Harmon, Doran, Hunter, J.Doyle.

LINFIELD: Johns, Newberry, Shields (Fallon, 70), Callacher, Hume, Manzinga, Stewart (Chadwick, 70), M.Clarke, Donnelly (Green, 58), Salam (Millar, 58), Palmer (Mulgrew, 58).

Subs (not used): Walsh, Roscoe-Byrne.

Referee: Andrew Davey.

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