Glenavon will be like wounded animals, warns wary Surgenor
SKIPPER Mark Surgenor is expecting a backlash when Carrick Rangers travel to Mourneview Park to face Glenavon tonight.
Less than a fortnight ago, Niall Currie’s braves romped to an astonishing 6-2 home victory over the Lurgan Blues.
Tipped for relegation following their promotion from the Championship, Carrick have defied the odds and sit seventh in the Danske Bank Premiership on a healthy 21 points.
They followed up their victory over Gary Hamilton’s team with an equally impressive 3-0 win against Institute at the weekend.
Surgenor, however, believes Glenavon will be smarting after that tanking on November 30.
“It’s a case of a wounded animal,” he said. “The Glenavon boys were hurt and angry after their performance, they walked off with heads bowed.
“I think their manager described the performance as embarrassing, so I’ve no doubt they’ll have revenge on the cards.
“But it’s not about them, it’s about how we handle the situation. We’ll be going there knowing what to expect, so we must meet the challenge head on.”
Having played all of the title contenders, Surgenor insists his team have been a match for any of them.
“We did well against Linfield at Windsor Park before we were robbed of a point against Crusaders,” he said. “They scored two goals in injury time. Then against Coleraine, a penalty decision went against us — it was a game changer because we were comfortable up until that point.
“But games against the big guns will not define our season. We must make sure we take points against teams in and around us in the league table.
“Things are ticking along nicely, but our aim is to pick up as many points as possible to get us clear of the relegation area. We are in a good place at the minute and have a strong mentality.
“We work hard for each other. We have a great togetherness in the squad. I think that has been the secret of our season.”