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Glenavon got its League campaign back on track with a 3-0 victory
over Moyola Park tonight. The defeat for Moyola will have put a
dampener on the Club's 125th Anniversary celebrations but Glenavon were
not feeling in a generous mood on the pitch and began brightly. Walsh
was just inches wide with a delicate lob over Wells in the third minute
after he robbed Johnston just outside his own box. He was unlucky six
minutes later when he was adjudged offside as he ran through onto
McMahon's nicely weighted pass and saw his shot clip the bar. McMahon
himself almost caught Wells out with a shot that did not seem to carry
much danger but the former Portadown stopper just managed to get fingertips
to the ball to turn it round the post.
In the 21st minute McKnight was tripped on the left edge of the box
and took the free kick himself, bringing a decent save out of Wells. Two
minutes Walsh got his head to a ball dinked into the danger area by
O'Connor, beating Wells to the ball which ended in the Moyola net
but the Glenavon celebrations were cut short by an offside flag.
Inside 60 seconds Moyola also had a 'goal' wiped off for an offside.
This time the flag was up well before the ball hit the back of the net
with McDonald saving the first effort before Mr Turkington noticed his
assistant's flag. McDonald made a good save to deny Duffy's shot from 12
yards as the Glenavon defence went missing and he was left unmarked on
the left of the Glenavon box.
At times it looked as though
Glenavon would never score with visiting keeper Davy Wells making a
string of fine saves and Glenavon also wasting some good opportunities.
Early in the second half Hyndes carried the ball down the left and
cut in to unleash a shot that brought a good save from Wells. There were
claims for a handball in the 49th minute as McMahon's close range shot
seemed to strike an upraised arm and seconds later Wells made a
brilliant save to deny McMahon after everyone had initially missed
Walsh's brilliant cross.
In the 53rd minute Hassan tested McDonald with a decent strike at the
near post when Stevenson threaded a ball into his run into the box.
Five minutes later Wells made a double save to deny McKnight and
Delaney.
McMahon finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute when he
tapped in from close range after new signing Kieran O'Connor's flick on
took the ball away from Wells as he tried to cut out Walsh's cross.
Hyndes was unlucky not to double the lead when his goal bound shot
deflected off the prostrate Quinn for a corner.
Neil Gawley replaced Delaney in the 73rd minute and, as in previous
games, immediately injected a sense of life and urgency down the left.
In the 77th minute Hyndes made another run forward and was slightly
impeded just outside the box and then appeared to fall under
another challenge in the box. As Hyndes was appealing for a penalty
Graham McDonagh appeared to kick out at the Glenavon full back and the
referee promptly sent him off for violent conduct.
Glenavon's second goal was created by a ball out of defence down the
left wing by Barry Reid to Gawley. He continued his run down the wing
and slid a square pass to O'Connor. The debutante's shot was almost
saved by Wells but he couldn't get enough of a hand on it to keep it
from crossing the line. It was two goals in as many minutes when
O'Connor's powerful right foot shot into the bottom corner gave Wells no
chance. O'Connor almost grabbed a hat trick in the final minute when he
fired a screamer just over the bar from a 20 yard free kick.
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