Cliftonville 2-1 Glenavon
Goals: Cliftonville 2 (Patterson 48 pen, C Scannell 52)
Glenavon 1 (Molloy 35)
Booked: Johnston (Cliftonville), Costello (Glenavon)
Marty Quinn went with the same team that earned three points against Distillery on Saturday and the first half performance certainly vindicated that decision. “It was a tremendous first 45 minutes. I thought we were absolutely brilliant; as good as I’ve seen from the team but here are with nothing to show for it. We’re very disappointed but it’s heads up and get on with it.
“My biggest complaint is conceding a stupid penalty kick. It was a hand ball – I saw it hit Mark’s hand and I’ve seen them given but I’ve seen them not given and, what I’ve got to ask is ‘Was the referee influenced by the behaviour at half time? Was he weak then at that point and was he softened up?’ That’s what I’ve got to ask because I’ve seen them not given as well and I feel he was influenced in some way; that’s just my feelings at the moment.”
Cliftonville manager Eddie Patterson had to be restrained by his players as he attempted to remonstrate with referee Hugh Carville at half time. Mr Patterson has just finished serving a touchline ban.
In the 10th minute Trevor Molloy slipped a pass through the defence into Costello’s run and he turned inside to unleash a low shot that Connolly saved low down at his post but he couldn’t hold the ball and Costello almost latched onto the loose ball but it was judged to have gone out of play off the Glenavon player. Two minutes later Chris Scannell was adjudged to be in an offside position as he picked up Mark Holland’s flick on but Plummer made a double save from the Red’s leading striker in any case.
Adrian Harper, having an excellent game in midfield, played a long ball down the right channel for Tony Grant to run onto. The Glenavon striker cut inside but, finding he had outpaced his teammates, took a gamble and fired a low shot which Connolly spilled but his defenders had plenty of time to effect a clearance before the Glenavon support arrived.
Ciaran Donaghy had the Reds first real chance of the game in the 28th minute when his downward header from Patterson’s corner was headed off the line by Paul Carvill. This led to a period of pressure from the hosts but in the 35th minute Ryan Harpur’s precision cross-field pass from wide on the right just inside the Cliftonville half picked out Trevor Molloy, showing a good touch to control the ball, he coolly lobbed the keeper from just outside the box, the ball going in off the underside of the bar.
Trevor Molloy scored for Glenavon
In the 41st minute Patterson curled a 25 yard left foot effort just wide of Plummer’s right hand post but the big keeper seemed to have it well covered and in the final minute of the half he looked cool as Mark Holland, lurking just inside the Glenavon box, took Ryan Catney’s pass on his chest before turning and firing a shot narrowly wide.
Referee Hugh Carvill handed the Reds the ideal start to the second half in the 48th minute when he adjudged that Mark Gracey had handled the ball as it bounced up and struck his hand and Mark Patterson drove the spot kick high into the roof of the net. Chris Scannell gave the Reds the lead just 4 minutes later when he raced onto a ball down the right from Ryan Catney and fired a shot which Plummer saved superbly but the rebound went straight back to the prolific Reds striker and he smashed a brilliant shot into the roof of the net for his 23rd of the season
Trevor Molloy almost restored parity in the 56th minute with a trademark free kick that he flicked up before volleying, with Connolly having to be at full stretch to tip it over the bar.
With 14 minutes left on the clock Connolly came through a crowd to punch Carvill’s free kick but it only went as far as Adrian Harper and, with the keeper well off his line, his chip was headed for the net until Ronan Scannell got his head to it and cleared the danger. Glenavon was pressing hard for an equaliser and substitute Gary Liggett almost got it when he was slid in by Harper, evaded a couple of tackles to create a shooting opportunity from a tight angle in the box and forced an excellent save from Connolly, at the base of his post.
Former Glenavon midfielder Kieran O’Connor replaced Smyth and within 5 minutes drew a great save from Plummer as he forced him to dive full length to turn his 20 yard drive around the post and another Reds sub Stephen O’Neill fired over from inside the Glenavon box.
Willo McDonagh in action at Solitude
Glenavon sub Eamon Murray’s flick inside to Molloy was fed on into the run of skipper Willo McDonagh but he and Liggett contrived to get in each others way on the edge of the Cliftonville box and chance was gone. It was just left for the home side to run the clock down to confirm their win and move three points clear of Institute in 6th place.
Glenavon: Plummer, Gracey, Haughey, Magee, Harper, Harpur (Murray 81), McDonagh, Carvill, Molloy, Grant, Costello (Liggett 71). Subs: Hudson, Dickson, Murray, Liggett, McMahon
Cliftonville:Connolly, B Holland, O’Hara, Donaghy, R Scannell, Smyth (O’Connor 79), Johnston, Patterson, Catney (O’Neill 85), M Holland (Hamill 90), C Scannell. Subs:Dunlop, Hammill, Boyce, O’Neill, O’Connor.
Referee:Hugh Carvill
