Glenavon manager Jim Brown was once again left rueing missed chances in a first half that Glenavon dominated. As early as the 5th minute Verner almost got a touch to McMahon's cross after he and O'Connor combined well on the right but the nippy striker couldn't quite stretch enough. Verner was in the thick of the action again three minutes later when he challenged with Straney for a high ball which broke to O'Connor. Seeing his path to goal blocked, he slipped the ball to Gawley on the left of the box. His low drilled cross deflected out for a corner off Scannell, with the defender relieved not to give away an own goal.

Straney didn't look too convincing as he rather made a meal of saving O'Connor's 12th minute free kick and he was fortunate that his defence helped him out before anyone in a blue shirt could capitalise. Five minutes later Campbell missed from the edge of the six yard box as Gawley's low cross spun off his shin and looped out of play inches wide of the back post.

Kennedy failed to make the most of a break for the visitors when his run down the left culminated with a weak shot that did not trouble McDonald and Telford should have done better in the 28th minute after weaving his way through several tackles but he too shot weakly at the keeper.

Glenavon defended solidly in the first half.

At the end of the half Reds manager Eddie Patterson was dismissed by Mr Courtney after showing displeasure with some of the decisions by the officials. Ironically Patterson has recently introduced fines for his players who pick up 'silly' cautions.

At the start of the second half Glenavon squandered another excellent chance when McMahon broke up an attack and he, Campbell and Verner found themselves 3-on-2 with the Reds caught up field. Unfortunately Verner got himself caught needlessly offside. Minutes later Glenavon were made to pay for their failure to capitalise on that first half domination. Cliftonville were obviously encouraged by the fact they were still in the game and were playing much better in the second half. Nevertheless, it took an unfortunate own-goal by Aaron Black to put them in front. Kennedy broke down the left and cut the ball back from the bye line and, with the Blues defenders racing back towards their own goal, Black diverted the cross into his own net as he tried to cut it out at the near post.

With home fans still bemoaning their luck, Montgomery advanced almost from the re-start and unleashed a 30 yard screamer that Straney did brilliantly to tip over the bar. From the resulting McMahon corner McAlinden nodded the ball down and it fell to Walsh who hammered it past the helpless keeper for his first Glenavon goal.

On the hour mark Mark Holland replaced Telford and he began to present a different problem from the taller front man. The warning signs were there in the 75th minute when Friars sent over a teasing low cross that evaded everyone but a minute later Kennedy's harmless-looking shot was spilled by McDonald at his near post and Holland was quickest to react to stab the ball home.

Glenavon responded positively but Verner couldn't quite stretch enough to get his head to Montgomery's 80th minute cross. A minute later Campbell did get his head to Gawley's centre but Straney got down well to save. Holland could have made the game safe for the visitors seconds later but he shot straight at McDonald from inside the box. That miss proved costly when, inside 60 seconds, McAlinden met McMahon's precision corner with an unstoppable header. In the final minutes both sides had half-chances to win the game, McVeigh doing well to rob a defender but shooting straight at Straney and Ciaran McMullan seeing a curling shot saved by McDonald in stoppage time.

Gerard McMahon's corners set up the Glenavon equalising goals.