Goal highlights courtesy Bristol City FC Official YouTube channel

Goals from Fabio O’Brien and Guy  Bates had Glenavon 2-0 up inside the first 25 minutes before Bristol City centre forward Shawn McCoulsky popped up at the back post to nod in Joe McNulty’s corner to pull a goal back.

O’Brien had opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he rose above the visitor’s defence to head in Andy Hall’s free kick. Ten minutes later Fabio crossed from the right and his strike partner Bates fired a great left foot volley past Jojo Wollacott in the visitor’s goal.

In the 38th minute O’Brien restored the two goal lead after Andy Kilmartin robbed a defender just outside the box but, finding himself in unfamiliar territory with the ball at his feet he fluffed his shot but the ball broke to the striker and he drilled a low shot past the helpless keeper.

Joel Cooper goes for goal. Photo by Maynard Collins.

Two minutes before the break Wollacott spilled Hall’s corner and Rhys Marshall drove a left foot shot into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Gary Hamilton made nine changes for the second half with only Mark Sykes and Joel Cooper remaining on and it was the Glenavon manager who scored the first goal of the second half after 52 minutes, heading in at the back post from a pin-point cross by Jack O’Mahoney.

Five minutes later the hosts were awarded a penalty when Lloyd Kelly was adjudged to have brought down Greg Moorhouse but Joel Cooper blasted the spot kick high over the bar.

A quick-fire double from Jake Andrews made it 5-3, the first a 25 yard free kick on 63 minutes which cleared the wall and left James Taylor rooted to the spot. Six minutes later Andrews finished with a cool lob from 30 yards after Taylor was forced to come outside his box to head clear but under pressure from McCoulsky he was unable to get any distance on the ball and the impressive Andrews measured his lob to perfection.

Twelve minutes from time Kris Lindsay completed the scoring when he rose at the near post to glance Hamilton’s corner beyond Wollacott.

Glenavon

1st  half team: Tuffey, Marshall, Kelly, Elebert, Patton, Cooper, Kilmartin, Sykes, Hall, Bates, O’Brien

2nd half team: Taylor, McGrory, Lindsay, Doyle, Burns, O’Mahoney, Sykes (Kilmartin 80), Martyn, Cooper, Moorhouse (Bates 80), Hamilton

Bristol City U21: Wollacott, Harris, Lyons-Foster, Challis (Baldwin 46), Kelly, Dowling (c), Moss (Morrell 46), McNulty (Omofe 60), Andrews, Difford (Evans 46), McCoulksy. Unused subs: Easterbrook (GK), Harper.