Sports Direct Irish Premiership 6p2b29

Taylors Avenue, Carrickfergus

Saturday 26^th April 2025

A youthful Glenavon side – eight of the eleven starters were 21 years or younger – defeated Carrick Rangers 4-0 at Taylor’s Avenue.

Paul McGovern (16 mins), Peter Campbell (50, 85 mins) and Aaron Heaney (76 mins) were the men on target. Three of the four were “Goal of the Season” contenders.

McGovern opened the scoring with a deft finish from 15 yards after Ben Wilson had headed a clearance into the path of Peter Campbell. The Richhill man slid the ball between two defenders for the 17 year old to beat Jack McIntyre.

Campbell shot high and wide from a free kick and then crossed for Wilson to side foot goalward. When the ball was blocked it came back to the Banbridge teenager who had a second attempt. This time a defender used his upper body to prevent a certain goal.

McGovern ran onto a long forward but shot over the crossbar. Wilson made a great run but was too high with an audacious chip.

In the final moments of the first half, Campbell crossed for Harry Murphy to head wide.

After the break Glenavon continued to dominate but with more of an attacking threat.

Peter Campbell doubled the visitors’ lead when he ran onto a clever back-heel by Wilson, took a couple of strides and beat McIntyre with a brilliant left foot shot from 20 yards.

Steven Gordon failed to capitalise on Carrick’s only chance of the match. Despite having time and space on the edge of Glenavon’s penalty area, he shot weakly into the waiting hands of Tadhg Ryan.

Benjamin Buchanan-Rolleston shot high and wide from 20 yards.

Campbell slipped as he took a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and McIntyre made an easy save.

After substitutes Michael O’Connor and Matthew Allen combined well, the latter’s shot was blocked.

Harry Lynch’s header from Campbell’s cross was saved easily.

David Cushley pounced on a wayward by David Toure but shot against a defender’s body.

When Toure found Aaron Heaney on the left, the teenager turned inside and with the goal gaping shot inches wide of the near post.

Two minutes later Toure released Campbell who carried the ball across the halfway line before threading a delightful for Heaney to confidently stroke the ball past McIntyre.

Toure was the provider again when he found Campbell on the right edge of the penalty area. The winger checked back and unloaded a brilliant shot from 18 yards which flew over McIntyre’s head into the opposite corner of the net.

In the closing moments O’Connor laid the ball into Campbell’s path 12 yards out but this time Peter’s effort went the wrong side of a post.

During the second half long-term injury casualties Mark Haughey and Calum Birney made cameo appearances.

CARRICK RANGERS: McIntyre, Surgenor, Gordon, Cushley, Buchanan-Rolleston, Webb, Boyd, Forbes, Hastings, O’Malley, McFarland, SUBS: Ross Glendinning (not used), Maciulaitis (not used), Reece Glendinning for McFarland (half time), Trimble for O’Malley (79 mins), O’Brien (not used), Hill for Cushley (79 mins).

Yellow Cards: Surgenor (65’), Gordon (73’), Hill (82’).

GLENAVON: Ryan, Toure, O’Sullivan, Lynch, Murphy, Wilson, Carlin, A. Heaney, McGovern, Marshall, Campbell, SUBS: Byrne (not used), Birney for Lynch (79 mins), Haughey for Murphy (61 mins), McDaid (not used), O’Connor for McGovern (61 mins), Hamilton for A. Heaney (77 mins), Allen for Wilson (61 mins).

Yellow Card: O’Sullivan (73’).

REFEREE: Mark Dillon.