Glenavon’s introduction to life in the second-tier Championship proved a quick lesson that the the tag of title favourites after relegation counts for little as Ards left Lurgan with an assured 3-1 success – with the hosts left to look for answers.

TOP RATED

GLENAVON: Jude Johnson stepped off the sidelines just past the hour mark with Glenavon 1-0 down and may not have been able to impact the scoreline but served up something to cheer on an afternoon to largely forget for the hosts with some thrilling trickery, clever footwork and an injection of welcome pace and skill

ARDS: Kielan Wilson set a marker down in the opening exchanges with a double block in quick succession and the 21-year-old managed to maintain that often-unheralded defensive commitment across the game with a series of key contributions to help protect the away side’s advantage – not least getting his body in the way to stop a Ryan Waide shot with the goal exposed at 1-0

placeholder image — Glenavon manager Michael O'Connor passing on instructions to his players during the opening day of the Championship season against Ards. (Photo by Iconic Media Group)

BIG MOMENT

With just 13 minutes gone in the Championship season, Glenavon’s bid for a dream start in the recovery from top-flight relegation suffered a blow from which the high-profile home side never managed to mount a significant response as Ards broke the deadlock off Connor Maxwell’s close-range finish

MATCH STATS

13: GOAL - Glenavon 0 Ards 1 (Maxwell)

Maxwell gets final touch in packed penalty area to force the ball home and cap slick footwork by Scannell - with Glenavon frustrated at offside appeals ignored during the attack's early build-up play

46: SUB – (Ards) Simpson for Smith

50: YELLOW – (Ards) C.Scannell

54: YELLOW – (Glenavon) Devine

62: SUBS – (Glenavon) Mountney and Johnson for Watson and McGerrigan

69: GOAL - Glenavon 0 Ards 2 (E.Scannell)

A ball in behind - so often a feature of today's play for both teams without reward - is picked up by the dangerous Scannell and he adds a goal to his first-half assist with an angled first-time drive

69: SUB – (Ards) Boyd for McClure

69: SUBS – (Glenavon) Mallon for Mountney

71: YELLOW – (Ards) E.Scannell

73: SUB – (Ards) Cafolla for E.Scannell

76: YELLOW – (Ards) Simpson

81: SUB – (Glenavon) Doyle for O’Kane

85: SUB – (Ards) Mullen for Crossan

90: GOAL – Glenavon 0 Ards 3 (Browne)

Browne caps a convincing away display with a delicate finish to increase Glenavon’s woe and rewards Ards with a winning start

93: GOAL – Glenavon 1 (Waide) Ards 3

Waide nets Glenavon’s first goal of life in the second tier but he fails to celebrate given the time on the clock and score on the board

F-T: Glenavon 1 Ards 3

GLENAVON: Lorcan Donnelly, Jordan McMullan, Paddy Burns, Harry Murphy, Ryan Waide, Luke McGerrigan, Peter Campbell, Ethan Devine, Oran O’Kane, Alex Watson, Niall Quinn.

Subs: Mark Byrne, John Mountney, Brandon Doyle, Luke Cartwright, Deaglan Healy, Stephen Mallon, Jude Johnson

ARDS: Marc Matthews, Conor Scannell, Connor Maxwell, Kielan Wilson, Ryan Arthur, Eamon Scannell, Jack Smith, Caoimhan Crossan, Jamie Browne, George Tipton, James McClure.

Subs: James Taylor, Patrick Cafolla, Jaydyn Withers, Ethan Simpson, Jack Boyde, Ryan Bailie, Ben Mullen

Referee: Tom Symington

TALKING POINTS

With all the focus on Glenavon as the big-name additions to the Championship, Ards’ performance may fall under the radar for many but John Bailie’s men picked up full points off a team display packed with collective heart and individual highlights.

Glenavon may have struggled before the break to falling behind but managed to inject some second-half spark – only for Ards to net a second goal as a killer blow on the counter-attack.

An added disappointment for Glenavon was the enforced substitution of John Mountney around seven minutes after his introduction off the bench – with the player highly-regarded in-house for his influence on and off the pitch.

SPECIAL MENTION

GLENAVON: Diminutive teenage playmaker Alex Watson may not appear at first glance set for the rough and tumble of a Championship campaign but the summer loan signing from Coleraine offered across his 60-minute debut signs of promise to come with bravery on the ball and desire to pick up possession in the final third

ARDS: Eamon Scannell is established as one of the Championship’s most dangerous attacking players and served up extra evidence of that well-earned reputation with an assist and goal – even if his afternoon could have ended in red after a second quickfire foul following yellow