Newington tie is 'a banana skin' for Glenavon as Michael O'Connor reflects on the hardest thing about management

Premiership basement-battlers Glenavon welcome their Championship opponents to Mourneview Park in Saturday’s fifth-round tie.

O’Connor remarked how he is bracing himself for “a tough game” on home soil after pin-pointing Newington’s threat in attacking areas.

He said: “I’ve watched their recent games against Ards and Loughgall...and they are a team who always keep the same formation whether they were playing Linfield or someone in their own league. They won’t change.

"They obviously have the Donnelly’s upfront who are capable of scoring goals and I think they’ll come here and have a go.

"They are a hard-working team and we know it’s going to be tough. It’s a banana skin waiting to happen.

"It’s a nice to have a break from the league but we’ve played well in our last two games and lost them both 1-0 to Portadown and Dungannon Swifts, although I think we should have picked up six points.”

It has been a busy start to the January transfer window for O’Connor’s side as they aim to avoid the drop.

Their business continued with the loan arrivals of Charlie Lindsay and Nathaniel Ferris on loan from Glentoran, with midfielder Jack Malone moving in the opposite direction on a permanent deal.

“It’s bittersweet because I played with Jack here and was now his manager,” O’Connor explained.

"He had been one of our best players this season but the deal sort of suited us as well.

"We were short in attacking areas and we feel having Nathaniel up there as a number nine will make a big contribution for us.

"Charlie has all the attributes to provide creativity for us.

"We wanted to keep Jack but the lure of full-time football was too hard for him to turn down.

"Recruitment is the hardest thing about management...we had three strikers leave plus loans being recalled this month.

"More players will become available later in the window as clubs do different deals but we need them in the building now.”