Glenavon set sights on Linfield following win over Ballinamallard

That’s according to Paul ‘Windy’ Millar, the Lurgan Blues’ assistant manager, after his team left it late to secure three points against Ballinamallard on Saturday.

In a game which had no real pattern until the second half, it took the introduction of player-manager Gary Hamilton to inject some life into proccedings.

And it was Hamilton who would pop up with the winner in the 91st minute, a vital goal considering that Cliftonville above them and Coleraine below them all dropped points.

Millar said: “Every week we target the team above us. I’ve been here four years and Gary’s been here four and a half and we haven’t changed our philosophy.

“At the minute the team above us is Linfield, who are doing rightly.

“We’re confident no matter who we play. We don’t go out thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, we’re dreading this’. We go into every single game thinking we can win it and I think the results have shown that.”

The first half at Mourneview Park was as poor a half of football as you will see with very little of note to talk about.

Ivan Sproule came closest to breaking the deadlock on 22 minutes. A long ball towards Stephen O’Flynn was headed clear by Tuffey on the edge of the penalty area, who was unsure if he was inside or outside of his box. The ball fell to the former Northern Ireland international, whose lobbed shot came back off the post.

At the other end an Andy McGrory free kick was knocked down for Declan O’Brien to shoot with his back to goal, with the chance going narrowly wide, while the Mallards’ Adam Lecky headed wide from a Sproule corner.

After the restart a Joel Cooper corner was headed down by Simon Kelly into the path of David Elebert, but he could only sweep the ball wide of the mark.

Mark Sykes had a great chance to break the deadlock with five minutes to go with a screamer of a volley from 20 yards out, but it sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

But substitute Hamilton nicked it for the hosts on 91 minutes when a Hall free kick found Braniff. His shot was scuffed but made its way to the Glenavon manager to score from six yards out.

Millar said that Hamilton, who he regards as still one of the best players in the league, had given his side a lift when he came on.

He said, “He hasn’t played or trained all week and it shows you the measure of the man that he comes on and scores in injury time.

“I have always said that Gary Hamilton is one of the best players the Irish League has seen in the last few years and he’s still doing it. When he comes on he give us gives us a spark and because he has so much respect from the players you can just see the whole team lifting.”

Meanwhile, Mallards manager Whitey Anderson said he was disappointed his players were going home with nothing.

“I’m disappointed for the players who gave 100 per cent commitment and that’s all you can ask from your players,” he said.

“I thought we were very good in the first half. I felt the danger was always going to come from a set play and that’s what has cost us in the end.”