Glenavon manager Michael O’Connor insists “you can’t coach” Ryan Waide’s goalscoring instincts after the Lurgan Blues star brought his Championship tally to 16 by netting a brace in Saturday’s 4-2 victory over Queen’s University.

Having arrived at Mourneview Park from Carrick Rangers during the summer to help Glenavon in their quest to secure an immediate Premiership return, Waide has been a revelation.

He has now struck 16 times in just 13 league matches – he has only failed to find the net in two games this term – and sits eight goals clear atop of the Championship’s individual charts.

The 26-year-old’s previous best campaign came during the 2023/24 season when he scored seven times across spells at Ballymena United and Loughgall.

placeholder image — Glenavon's Ryan Waide has scored 16 goals in 13 Championship matches this season. (Photo by Alan Weir/Pacemaker Press)

A move to Glenavon has helped bring Waide’s game to another level and O’Connor has challenged his talisman to keep producing the goods.

"He’s flying at the minute,” O’Connor told the club’s media channel. “He’s a fox in the box, he just seems to be in the right place at the right time.

"You can’t coach that, you have to have that inside you.

"The most goals he’d scored in a season before this was something like eight or nine, so he has doubled that already, but it’s important to go and get another 16 goals between now and the end of the season, he’s good enough to do it.

"What’s helping him is we have good players out wide, midfielders who can give him the ball and let him get his goals.

"He had to come off when he got a whack on his nose, there was a lot of blood.

"We have a run of games coming up in the next two weeks so we’re hoping he will be alright.”

Waide is part of a dynamic Glenavon attack which also includes the likes of Glentoran loanee Jude Johnson and Peter Campbell – the trio have helped the Lurgan Blues move second, currently sitting four points behind leaders Annagh United with a game in hand.

Campbell scored his second league goal of the campaign on Saturday to go alongside five assists, while 20-year-old Johnson has racked up eight contributions – four goals and four assists.

O’Connor is aiming to carefully manage his top talent with both Campbell and Johnson taken off in the closing stages of their weekend win.

"Jude is still a young lad, he’s still learning,” added O’Connor. “Jude has played a couple of 90 minutes lately but the type of player he is, Jude wants to do something every time, he’s lively and a sprinter.

"You have to be careful with players like that you don’t flog them. We have managed him really well and he’s fit every week.

"Same as Peter, he had a couple of hamstring injuries last season, you want to play him as much as possible but you need to look if after 75 or 80 minutes can we get him off and save his legs.

"It has worked so far this season but that’s a credit to the boys because we have a lead most games.”