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The Lurgan Blues were taken all the way to extra time and penalties
by a plucky East Belfast side which had taken the lead, against the run
of play, in the 38th minute when centre half James Wilson headed home
after Colin Gallagher's initial header had been cleared off the line by
Davy McAlinden. Glenavon had had two efforts cleared off the
line by James Pavis, first from McVeigh after he had won a corner when
his shot was saved one-handed by Rutherford and the follow up by
McAlinden.
Earlier Reid and Topley had seen shots just clear the woodwork as
Glenavon piled on the pressure. Topley then had another shot deflected
over for a corner from which McAlinden showed a good touch to control
the ball and get away a shot which Pavis blocked.
Tommy Kincaid brought on Paul McKnight at the start of the second
half, replacing Evans, but East Belfast had grown in confidence
since taking the lead and they made the better start to the second
period. Jamie Adams broke down the right in the 47th minute and brought
out a decent save from McDonald but within a minute Walsh went even closer
when he hit the post at the other end with a delightful curling shot. Montgomery
then surged forward and had Rutherford diving full length to turn a low
shot round the post. Minutes later Gallagher got a good touch to a long
ball down the right and almost looped it over McDonald but the Glenavon
keeper tipped it over the bar for a corner. The East Belfast front man
had another tremendous shot blocked by the Blues custodian in the 58th
minute and he could easily have scored from the rebound but he blasted
it high over the bar instead.
Glenavon equalised in the 69th minute when McAlorum's perceptive
diagonal ball found Topley on the left wing and he fed the ball into
McVeigh in the box. Though his first effort was blocked he quickly
recovered his feet and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
The Lurgan Blues were denied an obvious penalty when McVeigh was
'rugby tackled' in the 83rd minute but the striker should have scored a
minute later when he was put clean through and side-stepped the keeper
but missed with the goalmouth gaping!
With no further scoring in extra time, the match went to penalties
with Glenavon being first up. McVeigh took the first and scored with
McKnight, McAlinden, Walsh and McAlorum also successful. Andy McDonald
saved the home side's second and third penalties and got a hand to the
6th but couldn't quite keep it out. With Stephen McAlorum scoring the
7th penalty the pressure was on the home side's young number 11, John
McMullan. He struck his spot kick well but Andy McDonald made a great
save to put Glenavon through to the next round.
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