Why Glenavon need to raise their game to earn promotion

When Glenavon were relegated at the end of last season it brought a 21-year stay in the Irish Premiership to a close. Now in the Championship their goal is clear - win immediate promotion back to the top flight. For striker Ryan Waide, who has spent all of his career in the Irish Premiership, that was part of the appeal of a summer move to Mourneview Park. The 26-year-old joined from Carrick Rangers, and had previously played for the likes of Linfield, Ballymena United and Loughgall, but this was his first foray into the second tier. In search of regular minutes and after a conversation with manager Michael O'Connor, he knew Lurgan would be his next destination and he had "real belief in the project". "Michael was really on the money from get go," said Waide after being named as the Championship's player of the month by the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association. "As a player that's all you want from a manager, someone who puts their trust in you, believes in you and knows what you're capable of. "I believe Glenavon are a Premiership club and the ambition for them to bounce back straight to the Premiership drew me in as well." What went wrong for relegated Glenavon this season? In a restructured Championship, which has been expanded to 16 teams, there is little doubt that Glenavon are the big hitters in the league and are favourites to go straight back up. But they were stunned 3-1 at home by Ards on the opening day of the season, Waide said it was a "wake-up call on day one". It was exactly what the Lurgan Blues needed. They won three of their next four matches and have scored 14 goals so far this season, with Waide contributing seven of those as he hit the ground running in the Championship. "Glenavon have some of the best facilities in the country and when teams come to our place and they raise their game 10 or 15%, so we just need to raise ours 20 or 25%. "That's what it's going to take every week because everyone does raise their game when they're playing. "That's expected as title contenders or as favourites, so to go straight back up we need to raise our game." 'It would mean a lot to everyone' Despite the disappointment of being relegated, when in the previous decade they had won Irish Cups and been in Europe, Waide says no-one at Glenavon has been licking their wounds, and mentality has been key. "No-one's been dwelling on the fact that they went down last year. "It's just been about what we need to do and this is how we're going to get back to the Premiership. "That mentality from Mick [O'Connor] towards the players has really made us believe that's what we're capable of and that we can bounce straight back to the Premiership." Waide added that it would "mean a lot" if he could help Glenavon win immediate promotion back to the top flight. "I've only been at Glenavon for a short period of time, but they're a great club with great facilities and I can't speak highly enough of everyone involved because they've honestly treated me the best out of any club I've been at. "Obviously it would mean a lot for all the players, but it's not only just for us, it's for the fans and the people that do all the dirty work behind the scenes, for the volunteers who go unnoticed and are there week in, week out and do it for the love of the game and the club. "It would mean just as much to us as what it would mean to them."