In the 8th minute, Verner put Baillie under pressure, with the veteran Linfield skipper's clearance only going as far as O'Connor. He slotted a great pass through to Campbell but his touch took him wide of the goal and, though he pulled a good ball back to McMahon, his weak shot lacked conviction and drifted harmlessly wide. Seconds later Montgomery had to head off the line as Ferguson got his head to O'Kane's deep cross. Black then found himself in possession in unfamiliar territory when he charged down a clearance just outside the Linfield box and, with the ball dropping perfectly into his path, he drove into the penalty area but elected to try to find Verner with a cross when he could possible have tested Mannus with a shot.

O'Connor broke clear down the left but slipped as he tried to deliver a cross to the unmarked Campbell and Linfield cleared the danger. In the 18th minute Conor Walsh tried his luck from all of 35 yards and his shot almost caught the Linfield keeper out, with Mannus just managing to turn the ball round the post for a corner. Thompson almost put Kearney in the clear in the 25th minute but the former Ballymena midfielder slipped and the chance went begging.

The opening goal came seconds after Andy McDonald made a great save to deny Peter Thompson after Ferguson played him in. The ball was cleared up to Verner in the centre circle and he exchanged a one-two with Campbell before racing down the left. His turn in the box left Baillie in a tangle and he coolly took the ball round Mannus before slotting it home.

Despite a probable ear bashing from David Jeffrey at the interval, Linfield was slow to get going in the second half but as the hour mark approached the pressure did begin to mount on Glenavon. The equaliser, when it came, was a scrappy affair. McDonald punched a free kick only as far as the 18 yard line and Linfield sub Jamie Mulgrew struck a shot that came back off the bar. Gault headed the rebound back onto the woodwork via a Glenavon defender's head and Thompson nodded in from right on the goal line.

Conor Walsh was forced to retire after a bad tackle from Ferguson that was not even punished with a free kick, let alone what could easily have been a red card for the former Glenavon striker. Black headed inches over from Walsh's 66th minute free kick from near the left corner flag and Verner was only denied when a last-ditch tackle prevented him pulling the trigger from close range.

McDonald will be disappointed with the Linfield winner as he allowed a Glenn Ferguson header to sneak in at the near post with the keeper sticking out a boot rather than making any attempt to dive to his right for what looked to be a routine save.