All photographs on this page are © by Drew McWilliams, permission granted to glenavonfc.com

CRUES CONTROL

Glenavon was completely outplayed by a lively and inventive Crusaders side in this Carnegie Premier League match. "Our pace, movement and passing was excellent today. Playing like that we'd have been a match for any team" felt Crues manager Stephen Baxter after the game.

Sammy Stewart is closely marked by Gary Smyth

Terry Cochrane was forced into making two changes from the side that faced Glentoran on Saturday with Tuda Murphy off on World Cup duty and Gerard McMahon suffering from the flu. Paul Cairnduff and Ciaran Donnelly came into the starting eleven as replacements and Ricky Gibson made a welcome return to the bench for the first time since breaking his leg back in September.

Crusaders fashioned the first chance of the game in the 3rd minute as David Morrow volleyed over from 14 yards from Darren Lockhart’s cross. It was the visitors again twenty minutes later that drew an excellent save from Cairnduff as he had to get down smartly to turn the ball round the post as Lockhart got the slightest of touches with his head to McBride’s 25 yard shot. The pressure eventually bore fruit for Stephen Baxter’s team in rather a bizarre fashion in the 29th minute as Dickson’s attempted clearance was partially blocked by Rainey and the ball spun towards the bye line. The ball seemed to stop on the line as Cairnduff expected it to run out of play and Rainey pulled it back to the centre of the box where Lockhart had the easy task of slotting into an empty net.

Glenavon's hard working midfielder Adrian Harper gets in a tackle.

David Morris almost replied four minutes later as Dickson pulled back Donnelly’s corner but the Glenavon forward fired inches wide of the near post. Seconds later Gavin McDonnell gave the ball away to Coulter and it took a brave save at the feet of the Crues man by Cairnduff to rescue the situation. Dickson was forced to put Morrow’s dangerous cross over his own bar to prevent the visitors going further ahead in the 37th minute. Rainey then got past Dickson and raced towards goal and it took another very good save by Glenavon’s young keeper to save the day.

Sammy Stewart almost pulled Glenavon level in the final minute of the half after Dickson headed on McDonnell’s free kick to Molloy. Kerr got down to save his low shot and Stewart scooped the loose ball over the bar from 8 yards.

Lockhart almost got his second in the 59th minute but his toe poke was held on the line by Cairnduff but it was 2-0 seconds later when Rainey headed in Morrow’s cross from the left after hesitation by Glenavon saw them fail make a routine clearance after a dubious free kick was awarded against McDonnell who had appeared to win the ball in a tackle on Rainey. Jordon Owens replaced Lockhart who had just been booked for a reckless challenge on McDonnell and the young substitute made it 3-0 in the 76th minute as he beat Cairnduff to Gorman’s cross and headed the ball past him. Owens completed the misery for Glenavon three minutes from time as he took the ball around Cairnduff and slotted it past McAdam on the line.

"I'm perplexed, I'm stunned ... that was our worst performance so far. I can't explain it. We're very much lacking in some departments. Defensive-wise we weren't there; midfield we did a little bit but up front, no.

"I feel sorry for the fans. We've been showing good form right up until today then, what do you say? I've told the players to go home and have a look at themselves. They can't do this all the time. They must have a level of consistency.

"We have to go back to the drawing board and work on it again because if we can play like that for the last month and then come on here and get beaten like that ...

"At the Glens we showed what we can do. We lost 3-0 but at least we played some but today, nothing. I can't defend them. We've got to work harder; we've got to get people in.

"It's not a question of Conor Walsh coming on. It's a question of the whole team playing and they didn't. When everybody has a day off what do you do? Sammy Stewart and Harper showed a bit more energy but we need them all to play and they all did not play. I think they just embarrassed themselves and maybe that'll spur them on?"