Glenavon boss Stephen McDonnell feels BetMcLean Cup semi-final defeat to rivals Portadown was missed opportunity
Glenavon manager Stephen McDonnell believes Tuesday’s BetMcLean Cup semi-final defeat to Portadown was a missed opportunity and feels his side were “very emotional” against their Mid-Ulster rivals.
In the pre-match build-up, McDonnell had spoken about the importance of his players remaining cool, calm and collected in the heat of derby battle as they looked to book their spot in a League Cup decider for the first time since 2001.
They fell behind in the 27th minute as Ryan Mayse tucked away his penalty kick after Zach Barr was brought down by goalkeeper Mark Byrne with the Lurgan Blues unable to create enough opportunities to work their way back into the game.
Portadown goalkeeper Aaron Hogg produced a fine save to deny Gavin Hodgins’ close range first-half header and Jack Malone rattled the woodwork with a vicious strike from 30 yards, but it left McDonnell with similar feelings to 2019 when his Warrenpoint Town side were defeated by Ballinamallard United on penalties in an Irish Cup semi-final.
"Hugely (it feels like a missed opportunity),” he said. “I've been here before with Warrenpoint and I've drawn from that experience that there was only going to be one outcome today and only one team was going to win, but unfortunately it was the same outcome as that time.
"We probably froze in the situation and the scenario of the game. Ultimately we've been punished and that's football.
"Let's not beat around the bush - we didn't probably do enough to win the game. We've made their keeper work once in the first-half with a headed effort and struck the post from distance off a corner routine.
"We huffed and puffed and in the first-half in particular, after me saying in the lead-up about being calm and not getting emotional, we were very emotional. We made some mad, rash decisions and they score from us being in possession in the left corner in the final third.
"We leave Mark Byrne with a decision to make and it's one he has to make because he's forced into that situation. I thought we were extremely emotional and didn't play the game in the first-half. You're then 1-0 down and on the chase. We probed but we didn't do enough."