Stephen McDonnell feels Glenavon have 'fluffed our lines' during fight for seventh-placed Premiership finish

With their loss and Dungannon Swifts beating Newry City, McDonnell’s side have fallen to 10th in the Premiership table and now sit five points off the European play-off pace with three matches left to play.

Since going on a six-game unbeaten run between October 28 and December 2, which included beating all five of their bottom-half rivals as McDonnell was named November’s Manager of the Month, Glenavon have won only four of 16 league fixtures alongside home draws against both Linfield and Glentoran.

McDonnell was appointed following the dismissal of previous boss Gary Hamilton and while he helped them climb off the bottom and secure safety, the 32-year-old admits an opportunity for more has been squandered.

"Hugely (it feels like a missed opportunity),” he said. “We have fluffed our lines in so many games in recent times and that’s the disappointing part.

"We were quality there (against Loughgall) at times but gave up soft goals and don’t punish teams when we have them on the ropes – that’s the part we need to fine tune now and get right.

"That’s on me, on my recruitment moving forward and a big pre-season is needed. I came in ultimately after a manager lost his job and steadied the ship and I’m trying to move in a different direction, which takes time.

"I know you don’t always get time in football but that’s what we have to aspire to do and we want to win more games of football at this club.

"When I was last in this league, this club was a beast – it’s a sleeping beast at the minute and it’s up to us to try and rejig that.”

According to Irish League statistician Marshall Gillespie, Glenavon have handed more minutes to teenagers this season (4,740) than any other Premiership club with tonight’s opponents Ballymena sitting second in that list (3,732), but McDonnell wants them to keep improving on delivering Glenavon’s game plan.

"My worry at the moment is that it feels like we’re chalking off games to get this season done and that’s a concern because we had a positive statistic out there this week that we play a lot of young players and they get a lot of minutes,” he added.

"These young players are aspiring to do a lot in their careers and as I just said to them in there, you need to learn to take on the information and what we do on a weekly basis and continue to deliver and not veer away from it, because whether it’s here or in Jim Magilton or David Healy’s dressing room, all managers are the same in that we have something we want to work towards.

"It’s important that if you aspire to climb levels in the game as players that you hold information and continue to play the way that is being asked.”