DAVID McDAID SCORES FIRST GOAL IN MEMORABLE VICTORY 6596r

David McDavid is optimistic that Glenavon’s encouraging performance and result at the Coleraine Showgrounds is the harbinger of good things to come. “It was really important for us to get the win and put points on the board,” he reflected. “We played well and showed, over 90 minutes, some of the quality we had shown earlier, but only in short spells. It is a standard now for us to aim towards. Hopefully, we can maintain it.” 3y1e1z

McDaid scored the crucial first goal. He beat Rory Brown with a clever flick after Niall Quinn seemed to miscue a left foot shot. “When I saw the ball coming in my direction, I tried to get a touch and send it towards goal,” he explained. “Thankfully it went in.”

Although some Coleraine players looked for an offside flag, David was reasonably sure that he was onside. “The defender who challenged Len [O’Sullivan] when he put in the initial cross was still near the by-line, so I thought that I was okay,” he continued. “It was probably quite close but there was no flag. That was good enough for me.”

McDaid reckons that his goal was the pivotal moment in the match. “For us to take the lead and have something to hold onto was huge,” he said. “We had conceded early in our previous three games. It is so much harder when you are behind. On Saturday, after we went ahead, we were more relaxed and much more in control.”

Nevertheless, Glenavon had to battle hard for the remaining 88 plus minutes to secure the three points. “It was a genuine eleven-man display,” he added. “Everyone contributed. Obviously, Gareth [Deane] made some brilliant saves, but he wasn’t the only one to put in a good shift. Peter Campbell and James Doona weren’tmentioned much in the reports but they both tracked back, defended and did their bit.”

Keith Ward’s second goal was another crucial moment.David and Keith’s paths have crossed before. “We were in the Ireland under-19 squad and since then have played against each other in the League of Ireland,” the 33-year-old explained. “He is an all-round fantastic footballer. His technical ability is through the roof. He has an unbelievable football brain. He can see a a mile off. When he is in tight spaces, he has great feet and awareness of what is going on around him. He is also good in the changing room. He is very funny but knows when to be serious. He has so much experience. He does the right things and encourages others to do the same. He will be a big player for us this season.”

McDaid has played for Derry City, Sligo Rovers, Finn Harps, York City, Cliftonville, Waterford United, Larne, Ballymena United and Coleraine. He jokes that he has had more clubs than Tiger Woods! But a nomadic career is not a sign of any lack of commitment. “I am at Glenavon to do my very best and give my all,” he said. “I don’t shirk hard work and effort. Hopefully, the ers who have watched me already have seen that.”

Statistics courtesy of Marshall Gillespie.

David has scored goals at all his previous clubs. He looks back particularly fondly at the four seasons he spent with Larne. “I was the first g of the Kenny Bruce era,” he said. “We were winning matches and there was a lot of enthusiasm in the town. I was playing regularly and getting on the scoresheet. It was a good time.”

McDaid was a full timer at Inver Park. That, in fact, has been his status for most of his career. His preference, now, is to play part-time. “Playing full time is not easy,” he said. “It is particularly hard mentally. There is so much to take in. Your whole life is football, football, football. You can’t get away from it. The pressure is constant. Part-time is different. You are still focused a lot on the game, but you have time to think about and do other things. Family, for instance, gets its proper place.”

David is married to Faye. The couple have three children – Theo (13), Luca (7) and Myla (5).

McDaid still lives in Larne. He has just started a football coaching business with his close friend, Johnny McMurray. “We got it going earlier this year and so far, it has done well,” he said.

He has also completed his UEFA ‘B’ Licence. He hopes to take the ‘A’ Licence next year. “I feel that I still have three or four more good seasons left in me, but after that I want to stay involved,” he said.

The chance to play under Stephen McDonnell was the carrot which led McDaid to forego the two remaining years of his contract with Coleraine and put pen to paper for Glenavon.

“Stevie and I have known each other for a long time,” he said. “It started when I was at Derry City, and he was on the coaching staff at Dundalk. Later, when I moved to Larne, there was talk that he was going to the backroom staff at Inver Park. I was disappointed when that didn’t happen.”

David appreciates McDonnell’s commitment to a style of play that is pleasing on the eye. “I like the ball played on the ground,” he continued. “I saw Glenavon severaltimes last season. No one could fail to have been impressed with the quality of the football. Meeting him again just confirmed what I already knew. He is full of ideas and has a very progressive attitude. He wants to take the club forward. I want to be part of that.”

Last time, with Coleraine, McDaid scored only three goals in 27 appearances. He was disappointed with his return. He wants to do better this term. “I went to the Showgrounds with high hopes,” he explains. “But unfortunately, things did not work out. I didn’t start many games. The team also struggled at times. It was a difficult year. ing Glenavon has given me a fresh start. Hopefully, it will be a much better season.”