Glenavon can still show six appeal, maintains Hamilton

GLENAVON boss Gary Hamilton is not ruling out a late push for a top-six finish.

The Lurgan club are aiming to make it four games unbeaten against Coleraine today — the first of six matches before the split.

As it stands, they are eighth — four points off the top half.

Hamilton’s minimum target is seventh — which brings a playoff for European qualification — but he is taking encouragement from recent results.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful to other clubs because Ballymena are doing well, and Crusaders are a good team who should be in the top six,” he said.

“The teams we are trying to catch are good teams, and are doing well. It would be hard but if we keep playing as we are, you never know.”

Glenavon won 4-0 at Dungannon on Tuesday night, bolstering their confidence ahead of a tough trip to the Showgrounds, where the Bannsiders have not lost since November.

Hamilton expects a difficult game, adding: “It has never been an easy place to get a result, or an easy team to get a result against, and we are expecting no different. We need to be at the top of our game but hopefully we can take a bit of confidence from Tuesday night’s result and a good performance against Larne the previous weekend.”

Hamilton has been pleased with his side’s recent form, and believes their league position is not a full reflection of their efforts this season.

“We have been decent — there have been very few games this season where the boys have let me down,” he said.

“The first game of the season against Portadown we were poor, the derby game the other week we were also poor.

“There was a game against Larne, when we hadn’t played in five weeks, and our legs went in the second half.

“Those are the only three games this season where I can say we have been below standard — unfortunately two of those came in derby matches.”

He added: “Overall I have been really pleased with the boys this season, we have been superb and there haven’t been too many teams who have really turned us over.”

Coleraine, who beat Larne in midweek, sit second and need to win to keep the pressure on leaders Linfield.