Guy Bates and Andy Kilmartin drop to the bench with Kevin Braniff and Ciaran Martyn into the starting lineup

Glenavon started well and Eoin Bradley put his side ahead with a curling free kick into the bottom right corner of Andy Coleman’s net from 28 yards in the 9th minute.

Eoin Bradley celebrates after scoring the opening goal. Photo by Brian Bain

Photo by Alan Weir

Bradley went close to doubling his tally in the 40th minute when he cut along the byeline and smashed a shot that Coleman blocked out at his near post for a corner.

In the last minute of the half both teams were reduced to ten men when Kris Lindsay and Ryan Harpur were both shown red cards by referee Mervyn Smyth following a melee in the Swifts box. Joel Cooper took a Glenavon corner which the home side failed to clear, Braniff hooked the ball back into the six yard area where it was gathered by Coleman but then a scuffle seemed to develop out of nothing. The Swifts keeper’s aggressive reaction to whatever he perceived to have happened could easily have seen him pick up a yellow but the referee overlooked it and flashed red cards at Lindsay and Harpur.

The melee after which Kris Lindsay and Ryan Harpur were dismissed. Photo by Brian Bain.

Photo by Alan Weir

In the 67th minute Rhys Marshall headed Hall’s free kick back to Ciaran Martyn but he blasted over the bar.

Minutes later Cooper made a vital interception to cut out a cross from Mitchell who looked to feed Stefan Lavery after forcing his way into the box.

Rhys Marshall hurdles a challenge by Andrew Mitchell. Photo by Alan Weir

Swifts drew level in the 72nd minute when a Glenavon attack broke down and the hosts counter-attacked with Jamie Glackin picking out centre half David Armstrong who found himself in acres of space in the Glenavon box and he picked out the bottom corner with a shot across Tuffey.

Mystery surrounded the red card shown to substitute Gary Hamilton not long after he replaced Kevin Braniff, ten minutes from the end. There was a tangle on the ground with Christopher Hegarty and astonishingly referee Smyth brandished a red card to the Glenavon player-manager.

Mervyn Smyth sends Gary Hamilton off. Photo by Brian Bain.

Andy Mitchell had a shot well saved by Jonny Tuffey and he also smashed a shot off the post in stoppage time.

Perfect timing by our photographer Alan Weir as Andrew Mitchell’s shot hits the post.

Glenavon is left to rue the numerous missed chances with Eoin Bradley, Ciaran Martyn and Mark Patton all firing over when they had great chances to extend Glenavon’s lead.

Dungannon: Coleman, Burns, Armstrong, Wilson, Hegarty, Clucas, Harpur (c), Glackin, Teggart, Mitchell, McElroy. Subs: Addisd (GK), Fitzpatrick, O’Rourke, Burke, Lavery

Glenavon: Tuffey, Doyle, Kelly, Lindsay, Marshall, Hall, Martyn, Sykes, Cooper,Braniff,Bradley Subs: Patton, McGrory, Bates, Hamilton, Kilmartin