Stephen McDonnell sets Glenavon target 'to raise the bar again'

​The September appointment at Mourneview Park lifted November’s ‘Manager of the Month’ honour from the NI Football Writers’ Association in recognition of an upturn in form under his leadership.

December dates against top-six sides Coleraine, Larne, Linfield and Crusaders have left McDonnell’s men nursing a draw and three successive league defeats heading into Boxing Day against a Newry City side joint bottom of the Premiership table.

With Glenavon six points off the top six thanks to overall progress under McDonnell, the Lurgan Blues boss wants a return to the pre-December form.

"We have to get motoring again and we have to get another win under our belt,” said McDonnell on the official Glenavon social media platforms. "Albeit, the main objective was to keep this football club in the league when we initially took over, we currently find ourselves six points off top six.

"We want to be up there competing with Crusaders and the Coleraines and Cliftonvilles of this world...that’s where we aspire to be.

"We’ve got to raise the bar in everything we do...from me right down we’ve got to raise the bar again.”

McDonnell added: ​”The next game’s always a huge game...and none bigger than the Boxing Day one where we have to be best prepared for what’s going to be a battle in Newry. They’re battling for their lives at the moment and we’ve got to be prepared to match fire with fire.”