Linfield finished the game with four strikers on the pitch as Glenavon put in a gritty performance but in the end it was defender Kris Lindsay who grabbed the late winner to maintain the visitor’s 100% record in the CIS Cup this season.

Paul Carville clears the ball

The first real chance of the match came in the 13th minute when Okunaiya was caught in possession just outside his own box and this led to a shooting opportunity from the edge of the area for Peter Thompson. He struck it well but Tuda Murphy got both hands to the ball to push it away from the goal and the danger was cleared.

Lindsay rose to head a 20th minute Damien Curran corner but he put it straight into the arms of Murphy. Sixty seconds later Lewis Hamlin pounced 8 yards out on Okunaiya’s free kick and turned his man well but his shot crept out at the near post.

A slick Linfield move down the right in the 24th minute set up a shooting chance from 12 yards for Thompson but Murphy made a great save as he dived full length to fingertip the ball round the post. Minutes later Murphy made another great save as he blocked Curran’s close range shot at the far post as Ervin’s cross found its way right across the Glenavon area.

Thompson missed badly from 8 yards after Cowan inadvertently played the ball straight to him in the middle of the goal.

As the game moved into first half stoppage time Paul Walsh got on the end of a weak clearance but his shot went straight to Mannus who was able to gather comfortably.

Five minutes into the second half Thompson fed the ball wide to Dickson on the right and Gault rose to head the former Larne striker’s cross inches wide with Murphy at full stretch. Ian Wallace picked up a yellow for a foul on Curran and from his free kick McAreavey pulled a decent save out of the Glenavon keeper.

Meehan and Magennis, just on as subs for Glenavon, combined in the 64th minute to create a chance for the former but he skied the ball over the bar. Okunayia then went on a mazy run with the ball along the edge of the Linfield area and forced Mannus to dive full length to hold his low left foot shot. The home side was at last enjoying a good spell of pressure in contrast to the first half which had been dominated by Linfield.

Gault then tested Tuda with a well struck ground shot but the big keeper was up to it and held on well.

After Wallace had fouled Thompson wide on the left, a quick Linfield free kick, which strictly speaking should have been re-taken as the ball was clearly moving as it was taken, finally broke the Glenavon defence's resistance as Kris Lindsay scored with a back post header in the 84th minute from O’Kane’s left wing cross. Hamlin almost replied immediately when he forced Mannus to tip his lob over the bar after Okunaiya had pulled the ball back to him on the edge of the area.