Glenavon has been drawn at home to Portstewart for the second round of the Cooperative Insurance Cup. From this season the competition reverts to a straight knock-out format with most of the games, bar the semi-finals, being played on Saturdays.

The 12 IFA Premiership clubs were joined in the draw, made at The Oval this morning, by the 10 IFA Championship 1 and Championship 2 sides that negotiated their Round One ties and the 10 clubs awarded byes in Round One.

The Glenavon v Portstewart game will be played on Saturday 18th September and kicks off at 3pm.

Gary Liggett scored for Glenavon

Keith Gillespie gave the Glens a 10th minute lead when he blocked an attempted pass by Mark Turkington before running through on goal and guiding a precise finish with the outside of his right boot past Tuda Murphy and just inside the far post. Glenavon had already gone close to opening the scoring when King’s quick free kick put Molloy clear but his shot across goal went narrowly wide of the opposite post and a minute later Glentoran keeper James Taylor had to be quick off his line to smother a Gary Liggett shot after he was played in by Adrian Harper.

Mark Turkington in action

Three minutes after Gillespie’s opener Ryan Harpur somehow contrived to clip the top of the cross bar from six yards after Liggett had flicked on King’s corner.

Kyle Neill looked certain to double the visitor’s scoreline when he chipped the ball over Murphy, having been played in by Gillespie, but somehow Mark Gracey grew enough to glance it away for a corner.

Eamon Murray on the attack

Stuart King, who scored a long range free kick in the first leg, made it a double from all of 40 yards when his free kick from wide on the right touchline bounced up onto the underside of the bar and down into the net. Glens keeper James Taylor spilled a routine King cross in the 38th minute but managed to scoop it away to the edge of the area where Adrian Harper attempted a lob but the ball drifted over the bar.

King almost put Glenavon in front on the night when his 45th minute shot deflected up off the boot of a defender and would have dropped just under the bar but for a great finger tip save by Taylor.

Nixon put the visitors back in front just four minutes into the second half when he rose unchallenged at the back post to head Gary Hamilton’s free kick past Murphy, Darren Fitzgerald hit the post with a header and Nixon had a second ‘goal’ ruled out for offside from a Glens free-kick conceded by Gary Liggett for a foul on Gillespie just outside the Glenavon penalty area.

James Taylor can only watch as Gary Liggett's shot finds the net.

After these ‘let-off’s, Liggett brilliantly equalised in the 59th minute when he made space for himself just inside the edge of the Glens’ box and drilled a low right foot shot into the bottom corner of Taylor’s net but the joy of the home fans was short lived as Fitzgerald, straight from kick off, found himself in behind the Glenavon defence and tucked the ball past the exposed Murphy.

Despite throwing on Tony Grant and James Costello and going three at the back, Glenavon could not get the two goals they would have needed to go through to the Quarter Final stage.

Goals: Gillespie 10, King 30, Nixon 49, Liggett 59, Fitzgerald 60

Cautions: Gracey 32, Harper 77, Fitzgerald 85, Johnny Taylor 90+3

Teams:

Glenavon: Murphy, Campbell, Magee, Turkington, Harper, Murray, Molloy, King, Gracey (Grant 71), Liggett (Costello 71), Harper. Subs not used: Carvill, Haughey, McAnallen

Glentoran: James Taylor, Nixon, Leeman, Johnny Taylor, Black, Gillespie, Clarke, Fitzgerald, Neill, Hamilton, Fordyce  (Halliday 86). Subs not used: Gibbons, Waterworth, Callagher, Hall.

Referee: David Malcolm (Bangor)

Tonight’s Sponsors

Glenavon Stewards were the match sponsor for Glenavon's CIS game against Glentoran. Raymond Flanagan hands over sponsorship cheque to Glenavon director Frazer Follis.

Glenavon President, Gordon Irwin presents Trevor Molloy with his Glenavon 'Man of the Match' champagne. Glentoran's Keith Gillespie added his congratulations.

The Ball Sponsor was Magitex.

Glenavon plays hosts to Glentoran on Tuesday night (7:45 pm kick-off) in the Second Leg of the Co-operative Insurance Cup third round with the tie finely balanced at 2-2. In the first leg Glenavon held a 2-0 lead with goals from Gary Liggett and Stuart King before goals from Kyle Neill and Daryl Fordyce made it all square.

Conor Walsh and Willo McDonagh are suspended for Glenavon after accumulating 5 cautions  and Elliott Morris starts a two game ban for the league Champions. Marty Quinn will have his side well prepared for a possible ‘backlash’ after Alan McDonald saw his side fall to a post-war record home league defeat at The Oval on Saturday.

Please note that Season Tickets are not valid for this Cup match.

Match Sponsors The Glenavon Stewards

Ball Sponsor Magitex

Man of the Match Sponsor Gordon Irwin

With Marty Quinn attending a family wedding today, his Assistant Jeff Montgomery was in charge so this week we have Jeff’s View in the post-match interview.

Gary Liggett celebrates his goal with Adrian Harper. Photo by Russell Pritchard/Presseye.com

Just as the heavens opened at The Oval Glenavon took a tenth minute lead thanks to an excellent finish by Gary Liggett, a second goal in only his second start of the season. Stuart King and Trevor Molloy exchanged passes and the ball fell for Adrian Harper. He slipped it through to Liggett who raced through on goal and slotted a low right foot shot inside Elliott Morris’ left hand post from just inside the angle of the penalty area.

Just after the re-start Tuda Murphy had to dive at the feet of Kyle Neill to cut out a dangerous cross and Daryl Fordyce’s 17th minute shot from just outside the box was parried well by Murphy before Callacher put a header wide in the 24th minute.

Conor Walsh spurned a great chance to double the lead a minute later when Molloy’s deep cross was missed by Morris and the Glenavon skipper found himself unmarked at the far post but he drove his shot right across the goal area.

Glentoran's Jamie McGovern and Glenavon's Stuart King. Photo by Russell Pritchard/Presseye.com

King doubled Glenavon’s lead in the 29th minute when his 40 yard free kick totally deceived Morris, thanks to Jay Magee’s run across the Glentoran keeper’s line of sight, the ball bouncing near the keeper’s feet before trundling over the line.

Glentoran was given a lifeline back into the game when Murphy allowed Neill’s 56th minute free kick to squirm under his body after he had seemed to make a good save when the ball bent round the wall. Murphy did well with a double save in the 59th minute when he pushed Callacher’s 30 yard shot wide and quickly regained his feet to save Waterworth’s follow-up shot.

On the hour mark Waterworth blasted wide when well placed and seven minutes later Molloy’s cut-back set up a chance for Adrian Haper but, under pressure, he lifted his shot well over the Glentoran bar. Alan McDonald brought on Gary Hamilton in the 72nd minute and he was immediately involved setting up a chance for Fordyce who saw his shot strike the outside of Murphy’s right hand post. Seconds later Harper’s slip allowed Hamilton a clear run on goal but Murphy raced off his line and made a great save from the Glentoran striker’s low shot.

Glenavon's Trevor Molloy holds off Glentoran's Sean Ward. Photo by Russell Pritchard/Presseye.com

Fordyce completed the comeback for the Glens in the 83rd minute when he showed composure at the far post after Hamilton’s corner found its way to him and he stroked a shot into the net as he was being closed down.

Teams:

Glentoran: Morris, Nixon (c), Neill (Hamilton 72), Clarke, Ward, Fordyce, Waterworth, Hall (Gillespie 57), Callacher (Halliday 75), Hill, McGovern. Subs not used: Gibbons (GK), Black.

Glenavon: Murphy, Haughey, Magee, Gracey, Turkington, Harper, Walsh (c), Molloy (Murray 85), King, McDonagh (Harpur 78), Liggett (Costello 77). Subs not used: Campbell, Carvill.

Referee: Brian Turkington

Goals: Liggett 10, King 29, Neill 56, Fordyce 83

Cautions: Haughey 48, Nixon 53, Magee 63