Glenavon got off to the perfect start when Eamon Murray scored with less than three minutes on the clock. He blasted the ball into the roof of the net from 10 yards as he ran onto a low cross from Conor Walsh that was meant for Stephen Magennis, the striker failing to make decisive contact near the penalty spot and allowing the ball to run through into the path of the young midfielder.

Crusaders surged back from the early setback and dominated most of the possession for the rest of the first half. Stephen Baxter's men could have equalised on the half hour mark when Coulter's square ball across the Glenavon area allowed Rainey through on Murphy but the Glenavon keeper made a great blocking save to deny him.

Two minutes before the interval Crusaders had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Paddy McFadden when Coulter went down as Murphy stretched to get a hand on the ball but he showed no hesitation in the final seconds of the half when he pointed to the spot as Adrian Harper tangled with Rainey on the right side of the area. Barry Spence sent Murphy the wrong way with his stoppage time spot kick to send the teams in all square at the interval.

Crusaders carried on in the same vein in the second half, dominating the play despite Colin Malone switching to a five man midfield to try to deny the hosts time and space. The red and black shirts always seemed quickest to the ball but they were profligate in front of goal with Doherty and Coulter firing over when well placed and Rainey somehow failing to sort out his feet when left unmarked at the back post.

It actually took an error by Jonny Cowan as he failed to deal with a long clearance that let Coulter in and this time he made no mistake with a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Glenavon almost snatched an unlikely point in the final minute when Magennis fired a low shot towards the bottom corner only for Aaron Kerr to get down smartly and push the ball round the post.