No Joel Cooper in the squad today, possibly due to an injury , so it’s a start on the left wing for Paddy McCourt.

Early chance for Glenavon inside the first two minutes with Eoin Bradley getting beyond his man but Chris Johns beat away a shot from Andy Hall who took charge of the ball ahead of Bradley.

David Elebert limped off after just 13 minutes when he seemed to injure his ankle on landing after heading a cross.

Photo by Alan Weir

Bradley put the Lurgan Blues ahead in the 31st minute when he headed in a cross from the left by Andy Hall. McCourt had been involved in the build-up which led to a corner. He had pinged an accurate cross field pass from left to right to find Rhys Marshall. He cut across the edge of the box before squaring a pass to McCourt who took a touch before shooting, the ball being deflected out for a corner. This was taken by Hall but only half cleared and the winger crossed it back in to the middle where Bradley found himself unmarked and his header went in off the underside of the bar.

Photo by Alan Weir

Mark Sykes spurned a great chance to double the lead in the 54th minute when he glanced a superb cross by Rhys Marshall just wide after finding himself unmarked six yards out.

Paddy McCourt then went on a mesmerising run into the Coleraine box and put over a superb low cross that was missed by everyone in the middle.

Kevin Braniff tapped in from close range to make it 2-0 to the visitors in the 68th minute when Bradley ran on to Andrew Doyle’s ball down the right and cut the ball back from the bye line.

Kevin Braniff celebrates with Eoin Bradley after making it 2-0 to Glenavon. Photo by Alan Weir

Hall had the ball in the net eight minutes later when his left foot shot hit the post and ended up in the net, possibly off the back of the Coleraine keeper but the offside flag went up against Ciaran Martyn. Would like to see a replay of that decision!

Bradley forced Johns to tip a fierce drive over the bar when he ran onto another pass from Doyle.

Two goals in four minutes drew the home side level in the 86th minute.

Bannsiders sub Jamie McGonigle pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute when he smashed Darren McCauley’s cut back into the roof of the net.

Johns then beat away a free kick by Bradley but moments later it was 2-2 when Coleraine’s other sub Jordan Allan ran onto a low cross from the right by McGonigle and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.

Jordan Allan equalises for Coleraine. Photo by Alan Weir

There was a great chance in stoppage time for Hall as Bradley slid the ball across the six yard box but the the Glenavon winger missed the ball and the keeper gathered and released it quickly but Coleraine spurned the chance to win it as they break but McAuley missed the target when well placed.

Five minutes of stoppage time.

Full time 2-2 and it feels like a loss to the Glenavon fans in a game which the Lurgan Blues dominated.

Coleraine: Johns, Mullan, Ogilby, McConaghie, Brown, McCauley, McCafferty, Kee (c), Parkhill, Twigg, McLaughlin. Subs: Higgins, Edgar, Morrow, McGonigle, (Parkhill 71), Allan (Twigg 53)

Glenavon: Tuffey, Doyle, Lindsay, Elebert, Marshall, Hall, Martyn, Sykes, McCourt (c), Bradley, Braniff. Subs: Hamilton (McCourt 72), Kilmartin, Patton (Elebert 13), McGrory, Bates (Braniff 88)

Referee: Raymond Hetherington