Stephen McDonnell hails 'phenomenal' Glenavon star set to retire at end of this season after playing key role in Glentoran stalemate

Warren Feeney’s side had the ball in the net on three occasions with David Fisher (twice) and Shay McCartan denied due to a combination of offside calls and the ball going out of play before the latter stroked home.

It’s a first Lurgan Blues shut-out since their 2-0 victory over Carrick Rangers in January – which also remains their last win – while the Glens have now won just one of their last five Premiership matches (one triumph, three draws and a defeat to Larne) which leaves them 23 points adrift of the league leaders.

McDonnell reserved special praise for Sean Ward, making just his second Premiership start since December, as the 40-year-old played a starring role in helping stop an in-form striking duo of Fisher and Junior.

The ex-Glentoran, Linfield and Crusaders defender is set to call time on his stellar career at the end of this season and McDonnell believes he could keep going based on his latest showing at Mourneview Park.

"I thought him and Calum (Birney) were superb and likewise Danny (Wallace) who came in with a couple of big headers late on and a couple of big hooks,” he told the club’s media channel. “It's hard to believe Wardy is retiring at the end of the year at 40 when you consider some of the reactions and turn of pace over 10 yards in the first-half - he looks like a spring chicken!

"He was phenomenal tonight. It was a huge collective effort and it stopped the rot of conceding goals.

"We've been conceding goals and that's something we've challenged the players on...it's all good and well being nice and pretty on it and creating chances, which we have, but I haven't seen that side of us in some time where we're not creating multiple chances but we're being really dogged and hard to break down.

"We spoke to the players and that's where we want to get to...we want to be that double-sided coin where we are attractive and do try to play progressive football, but if we can be hard to beat like tonight then let's continue."

The point means Glenavon remain 10th, but they’re only five adrift of seventh-placed Carrick Rangers with five teams all in the running to finish in the final European play-off spot.

They round their pre-split block of fixtures off against Dungannon Swifts, Larne and Loughgall, which includes facing Rodney McAree’s side and the Villagers in Lurgan, and McDonnell is keen to make Mourneview a tough venue for teams to thrive.

"We’ll take stock on Thursday, analyse where the group is at and get ready for Dungannon,” added McDonnell. “It’s another game on home turf.

"We want to be difficult to beat wherever we go, but we want Mourneview to become a difficult place to come for for teams. We will pay our respects to the opposition but ultimately we want to put each team to the sword when we play them.”