Crucial points dropped

GLENAVON Under-12s wasted a great opportunity to pick up crucial league points when they turned in a ragged display against Derry Colts at Lurgan Junior High School on Saturday morning.

The Lurgan Blues will know that had they played at anything close to their best they could have avoided this defeat.

But not for the first time this season the local lads paid the price for a poor start to the game, falling two goals behind in the first half.

Shortly after Matty Swann was just off target with Glenavon’s best opening of the first half, Derry took a tenth minute lead when they broke through the home defence and clinically lobbed the ball over keeper Paul Flynn.

Another ten minutes had elapsed when Derry doubled their lead after the ball was somehow clipped into the far corner of Paul Flynn’s net from an acute angle on the left.

Glenavon were faced with a mountain to climb at half-time but unfortunately their lethargic performance continued after the break as they struggled to get any rhythm into their play.

There was little to choose between the teams in the second half until Glenavon were finally sparked into life when they reduced the deficit eight minutes from time, Conor Weir crashing the ball in off the crossbar with a sweet first-time strike after a low cross from Callum Ferris wide on the right.

In the closing stages Glenavon finally put some pressure on the visiting team but poor delivery from set-pieces prevented them from seriously testing the visiting defence and Derry held on for the three points.

Overall a disappointing display from the local lads who too often this season have been left to chase the game after starting sluggishly, something they will be keen to address in the final months of the season.

Glenavon: Paul Flynn, Ryan Ferris, Daire Donnelly, Conor Molloy, Adam Clarke, Ordhan Connolly, Callum Ferris, Ruairi McDonald, Ryan Harbinson, James Mahaffy, Matty Swann, Conor Weir, Danny Magill, Josh McClune.