He couldn't hold onto his brother's 25 yard shot in the 21st minute and was fortunate to get a fingertip touch to push McVeigh's follow-up over the bar. On the half hour mark the Hanover keeper could do nothing to prevent his sibling from doubling Glenavon's lead when his fiercely struck shot deflected off the head of Johnny Walker and ended up in the bottom corner. Johnny Topley almost doubled his tally two minutes from the interval when he met Withnell's right wing cross with a looping header that the keeper just managed to tip over. Right on the stroke of half time Withnell, who lead the line well throughout the match, must have thought he had earned a reward for his efforts when he met McVeigh's cross with a firm downward header but amazingly the ball bounced up onto the bar and away to safety.

Withnell went close again in the 50th minute when his overhead kick was deflected away for a corner from which Walsh had two shots blocked in the crowded box. A few minutes later it was Walsh's turn to go close with a powerful header that Topley did well to cling on to.

Just before the hour mark, McVeigh got the first of what would prove to be a hat trick of well taken goals. Withnell's good touch and lay off to McKnight allowed the talented midfielder to pick out McVeigh with a precision pass across the right back and McVeigh finished well with a low left foot shot from the corner of the area.

McVeigh almost got his second in the 66th minute when a quick Glenavon break allowed him the chance to shoot but this time he put his shot narrowly wide, hitting the the side netting to Topley's right. A minute later Hanover strung together their best move so far but substitute striker Uel Woolsey stumbled at the vital moment as he received a good ball about 8 yards out. He then compounded his error by deliberately playing the ball across goal with his hand, receiving a caution for his troubles.

McVeigh's second goal was almost a carbon copy of his first with good play by McKnight and Withnell in the centre with McKnight again providing the killer pass. The hat trick was completed in the 76th minute; this time it was Murray and Withnell setting up a shooting chance for McKnight. Topley couldn't hold the stinging drive and this time McVeigh got to the rebound before the keeper and slotted the ball past him for his third and Glenavon's fifth.

Two minutes from time Stephen Woods, the Hanover left back, made a good run with the ball into the Glenavon area, played a one-two with Woolsey and fired a shot from close in that McDonald had to beat away, with Reid completing the clearance. In the final minute Withnell had an easy opportunity to make it six and get a well deserved goal but he put his shot high over the open goal after rounding Topley following a mix-up between the young keeper and his defenders.

Tommy Kincaid said after the match, "I was pleased with our display today. Maybe we should have taken more of the chances we created but a win is a win. Hanover worked hard and we certainly didn't take them for granted.

"I have a number of injury worries. Mark Savage had to come off today with suspected medial damage to his knee and Stephen Hyndes has a niggling injury to his foot.

"Our pre and early season preparation is going to plan. No matter what happens we will remain focused on what we have to do, match by match."

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