With Limavady United languishing at the foot of the table and still looking for a first League win, the Glenavon supporters who made the long journey to the northwest may have been expecting an easy victory. Despite dominating the match for long spells and creating a number of decent chances, especially in the first half, the Lurgan Blues found themselves going behind ten minutes into the second half and the hosts held on to record their first League victory of the season.

Ormond Okunayia puts the Limavady defence under pressure

Glenavon almost got off to the perfect start inside the first minute when Ormond Okunayia skinned the United left back and pulled a low cross over for Lewis Hamlin but the Glenavon striker failed to make good enough contact and the hosts eventually scrambled the ball clear.

Twenty minutes later Harper won the ball in a crunching tackle and it broke to Okunayia who skipped over the fullback’s sliding challenge before releasing the ball to the feet of Hamlin. Unfortunately his finish did not match the quality of the build up and he fired well wide from 8 yards.

Glenavon strung together the move of the game in the 25th minute with Hamlin flicking the ball over his head to Gawley. He laid it off for Douglas and his through ball was perfectly weighted for Murray. The young midfielder was unlucky when his lob came back off the top of the bar and fell into the arms of the grateful keeper. Murray turned provider in the 42nd minute when he threaded through a brilliant pass for Gawley but the move broke down as he tried to set up a chance for Hamlin.

United's 17 year old midfielder Gareth Tommins’ square pass set up a shooting opportunity for Kearney in the final minute of the first half but Murphy was able to watch his effort curl harmlessly past his post.

Tommins hit a great shot two minutes into the second half as Mullan’s free kick was cleared to the edge of the Glenavon area. The teenager's effort looked goal bound until it was cleared over his own bar by the head of Paul Carville. This effort seemed to lift the hosts and they took the lead ten minutes into the second half when centre half Martin Ferry rose at the back post to head McLernon’s free kick back across Murphy and, despite the keeper getting a hand to it,  the ball crept inside the other post.

Ferry almost repeated the dose in the 71st minute when he again got his head to another McLernon free only this time Murphy did pull off an excellent save at full stretch to turn the ball round the post.

In the 83rd minute Glenavon substitute Stephen Magennis ran onto a good through ball, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball goal wards but it was blocked by Ferry. In the follow up action Neal Gawley was brought down in the box but referee Ken Ginnett ignored Glenavon’s penalty appeals.