Glenavon fans will have gone away after tonight’s game happy despite the result and no doubt impressed with the Lurgan Blues performance. Unfortunately two errors gifted the undoubtedly talented visitors their goals but Gary Hamilton’s side never gave up and, coming on as an 82nd minute substitute, he himself helped inspire his players to pull back a goal that at least gives Glenavon a ray of hope going in to next week’s away leg in Belarus.
2: 0-1 Disastrous start for Glenavon as a poor kick out by McGrath went straight to Yanush and though the keeper saved his effort Afanasyeu followed up to fire into the empty net.
11: Great chance for Marshall as Dillon heads Hall’s free kick across goal but the youngster can only steer his shot straight at the keeper.
18: Singleton harshly booked. Shakhtyor player made a meal of it
27: Dillon glances Hall’s free kick narrowly wide
28: Starhorodskyy free kick curls wide but McGrath was able to watch it out.
29: Caution for Matveichyk for a trip on Dillon
30: 0-2 Another error costs Glenavon a goal as Martyn’s woefully under-hit back pass never looked like reaching McGrath and Kamarouski made no mistake with only the keeper to beat.
38: Another poor back pass! This times its Kilmartin at fault but the woodwork comes to the rescue as a shot crashes off the post and is cleared by Kilmartin himself.
44: Quick break by Glenavon as Bradley latches onto a long ball, holds it up well and plays Braniff in but his shot clears the bar under pressure from a defender.
45: HT 0-2 Two goals gifted by Glenavon who actually created a few decent chances themselves.
47: Great pass by Braniff to put Bradley in ant looked like he had pulled a goal back when he lobbed the keeper but somehow it was cleared off the line.
48: Great Double save by McGrath
49: Caution for Yanushkavic
51: Elebert heads over from Hall’s corner
52 Shakhtyor substitution 23 Kovalev for 13 Mikoliunas
63: Glenavon substitution 6 Lindsay for 25 Elebert (inj)
66: Glenavon substitution 12 Patton for 7 Kilmartin
67: Somehow Martyn can’t force the ball over the line from four yards out!
71: Caution for Rybak for a foul on Bradley
73: Shakhtyor substitute 7 Covic for 8 Afanasiev
76: The Shakhtyor keeper drops Dillon’s long throw and his defender’s fail to clear and concede a free kick 25 yards out
77: Keeper beats out Braniff’s free kick
81: Patton has a shot blocked but Dillon collects the rebound and draws a decent save from Bushma
82: Glenavon substitution 20 Hamilton for 11 Hall
84: Shakhtyor substitution 20 Martynyuk for 15 Komarovski
86: 1-2 Patton slams the ball into the roof of the net after Hamilton’s brilliant cross-field pass releases Bradley and his cross-shot, with Bushma stranded out of his goals was well finished by the Glenavon subsitute
89: Caution for Kelly
90 Glenavon break in numbers as Hamilton plays it out of defence and Bradley crosses to the far post for Dillon but the defender heads it out for a corner
Playing four additional minutes, Glenavon pushing for an equaliser
Glenavon: McGrath, Marshall, Kelly, Elebert, Singleton, Bradley, Dillon, Kilmartin, Martyn (c), Hall, Braniff. Subs: McKeown, Neill, Lindsay, Patton, Caldwell, Hamilton, Sykes
Shakhtyor: Bushma, Matveichyk, Yanushkevich, Yurevich, Afanasyeu, Yanush, Starhorodskyy (C), Mikoliunas, Kamarouski, Rybak, Kuzmianok. Subs: Kotenko (GK), Shybun, Covic, Kazeka, Martynyuk, Kavaliou, Vasileuski.
