A controversial decision to award Linfield their equaliser was the big talking point of Saturday’s game against the Blues.
Neil Adair and Gerard McMahon took control of the Lurgan Blues for the match, naming an unchanged side from that which visited Coleraine on Tuesday.
Gerard McMahon and Neil Adair were in charge for the game against Linfield.
For Linfield it was an historic 500th appearance for veteran defender Winkie Murphy while international shot stopper Alan Mannus was making his 350th game between the sticks for the champions and it was the league leaders who would have the first chance of the game, Conor Hagan firing over from distance. Glenavon then began to exert pressure on Linfield. James Costello had his first chance of the afternoon when Trevor Molloy played him through after dispossessing a defender. The Rathfriland man’s shot was parried away by Mannus with only the keeper to beat.
Costello was sent through again a minute later, this time to be denied by the goalkeeper’s knees but third time is always a charm and Costello stunned David Jeffrey’s side by handing Glenavon the lead. Eamon Murray flicked the ball over Murphy with Costello running onto it, skipping past JP Gallagher and curling a low shot past Mannus.
James Costello scores for Glenavon
Linfield’s equaliser came seven minutes from half time in controversial circumstances. Gallagher played the ball across goal to Glenn Ferguson, who in turn nodded the ball back into the centre of goal for John Martin to knock past Tuda Murphy. Glenavon protested that the ball had gone out of play before Martin knocked it in and, admittedly, from the press box it looked like it had gone over the line by about yard. Murphy and Conor Walsh got booked for their protests.
Trevor Molloy exited the fray on 40 minutes, struggling from a knock after Stephen Douglas had made a high tackle on the Glenavon forward. He was replaced by Paul Carvill. Mark McAllister had a chance to put Linfield ahead a minute later with a header from Michael Carvill’s cross.
Mark Turkington gets above John Martin
While Glenavon were on top in the first half it was almost all Linfield in the second. The home side had an early opportunity to retake the lead five minutes into the second half, Mark Turkington playing a ball over the top to Murray but his low pass to Willo McDonagh was taken off the midfielder’s toe by Michael Gault. Then the tide started to turn. Ferguson was denied by a great save by Murphy and the goalkeeper was called into action on 65 minutes when Carvill turned and shot from the edge of the box. The midfielder was to play his part in the goal that handed the Blues the lead. He played a neat pass to Robert Garrett who teed up Hagan for a wonderful drive from 30 yards which ended up past Murphy and in the bottom corner of the net on 66 minutes.
It was 3-1 three minutes later when Ferguson played substitute Kevin McHugh through on goal. Right back Niall Hudson slipped, letting the ex-Derry man in to round Murphy and slot the ball home and the scoring was completed eight minutes from time when Garrett took advantage of some poor defending to go around Murphy himself to make it 4-1. McHugh and Garrett had opportunities to further increase the lead but the visitors left Mourneview Park by far the happier side.
GLENAVON: Murphy, Hudson, Turkington, Dickson, Haughey, Walsh, Murray, McDonagh (Harper 56), Harpur, Costello, Molloy (P Carvill 40). Subs not used: Buchanan, McCann, Scott.
LINFIELD: Mannus, Douglas, Murphy, Hagan, Gault, Ferguson, M Carvill (Munster 80), Martin (McHugh 51), Garrett, McAllister (Burns 73), Gallagher. Subs not used: Bailie, Lindsay
Thanks to our match sponsors, McIldowies Solicitors, Belfast, and ball sponsor Mr Roy Collins.
Nigel Brown of McIldowies Solicitors, Belfast, sponsored Glenavon's game against Linfield.
