SHANNON TO STAY - GARY

So says boss Gary Hamilton after the defender’s petulant push on Shane McCabe cost Glenavon a penalty and a second goal in the Mid-Ulster Derby on Boxing Day.

The club’s supporters then made their views heard, booing him off the pitch as he was swiftly substituted.

However, Hamilton has jumped to his defence after the right-back made an apology to his gaffer after the game. Hamilton also assured supporters that, after Shannon’s previous dismissal for pushing a referee, the 22 year-old will now put these mistakes behind him.

“Brendy will play for Glenavon again,” said the boss.

“He made a mistake but I’m a person who always gives people a chance. He’s young and he made a massive mistake. As I said to him, he’s made a couple of mistakes during his time at the club but I can assure everybody at Glenavon that it won’t happen again.

“That’s coming from Brendan Shannon though. Brendy’s one of the players that I have most respect for. He’s a good kid, he works his socks off and always gives 110%. His mistake cost the boys on Monday as they had put in a good shift but he knows that.

“To be fair to Brendy, he was the first one knocking on my door after the game. He apologised and you know when somebody’s looking you in the eye that they’re sorry for what they’ve done.

“It takes character for somebody to come and do that and he gained respect from me for it. A lot of players would have thrown the head up but Brendy showed the type of person he is and he’s one I want in my team.”

Hamilton also called on the club’s fans to support the player when he gets back onto the pitch, although says that he will initially pay for his actions.

“He’ll have to work his way back into the team,” the boss told the ‘MAIL.’

“There’s no point setting rules and then going back on my word but he will definitely play for Glenavon Football Club again.

“I want the Glenavon fans to know that he’s sorry for what he has done and that we’ve accepted it as a backroom staff.

“We want the fans to have similar thoughts as us because we don’t want Brendy going out and getting abuse and stick off the fans. Everybody makes mistakes and it’s the way you bounce back after it that matters.

“There’s nobody has made as many mistakes in football as myself, I know that. One thing is that it always made me a better player. Whenever I made one, I learnt from it and I don’t think I ever made the same mistake a second time.

“That’s the way it has to be with Brendy and I know that it will be that way.”