BetMcLean League Cup round of 16: Glenavon v Glentoran (Mourneview Park, 7.45pm)
THE way things have been going for Glenavon recently, manager Gary Hamilton is almost hoping they don't get what they deserve against Glentoran tonight in the Northern Ireland League Cup last 16.
Performances have pleased the Lurgan Blues boss, particularly the hard-fought goalless draw at Coleraine on Friday night, but that still made it six league games without a win.
That poor run in terms of results started with a 4-0 home thrashing by Carrick Rangers, and Hamilton was typically honest in accepting that setback - but other outcomes have been harder to take.
"There are only three matches so far when we've got what we deserved - Carrick, Linfield [0-0], and Coleraine. We should have beaten Portadown by six in the first match of the season, then we did win well at Warrenpoint…
"They say it turns and changes and hopefully it does at some stage, where we get that wee bit of luck where we don't deserve a draw or a win but we get it."
The main problem for Glenavon since putting six past Warrenpoint has been a lack of goals, with only two in the six league matches since then.
"Last season was the opposite," recalled Hamilton, "we were conceding too many goals but we were scoring goals. This time we've done alright defensively, apart from against Carrick which was the worst game we've played this year and we got what we deserved, it could have been more."
Yet Hamilton is happy with his main attackers Matt Fitzpatrick and Andy Waterworth, the latter one of three experienced summer signings from Linfield along with defensive Marks Haughey and Stafford.
"'Fitzy' has scored four goals in seven games, that's good going for a centre-forward; I think Andy has got two in six, which isn't a bad return.
"On the day we're just not taking the chances that come along. That's the hardest part of football, that's why people who score goals and assist goals are the highest-paid players."
Hamilton points out that "the other teams aren't scoring loads of goals either", with only four conceded since that humiliation by Carrick: "Other teams are getting results they don't deserve, Glentoran and Larne getting wins [against Glenavon] when we deserved a point, and Ballymena got a very late equaliser."
Another aspect has been the tough run of fixtures, although obviously that continues tonight with the visit from the Glens, who edged to a 2-1 win at Mourneview Park in the League meeting early this month:
"We've had one of those runs with the three full-time teams in a week, Linfield, Larne, and Glentoran, and then followed up by Coleraine, a top side as well.
"We've been competing well in all of them, unfortunate to lose a couple…We're not going out and getting beaten easily so you always stand a chance of getting a result."
The goals did flow, eventually, in the first round, a 5-1 victory at MVP over Portstewart, thanks largely to a late hat-trick from substitute Kyle Beggs.
Glenavon will put out an even stronger side tonight and Hamilton is optimistic that they can progress to the quarter-finals:
"We've put in consistently good performances in the last four matches, so the boys have to take confidence from that, believe in themselves. Any genuine fan who's been at the games will have seen that we've played well in them. We need more of the same. Hopefully we get a rub of the green for a change."
There are two other all-Premiership ties tonight, with Carrick hosting holders Coleraine and Crusaders at home to Ballymena United. There are away trips for two Championship sides, Institute going to Linfield and Loughgall travelling to take on Warrenpoint.
Limavady United were due to host Dungannon Swifts as the Roesiders were reinstated after Larne were found to have fielded an ineligible player in their 4-0 win, but that tie has been postponed pending an appeal from the Inver Park club.
