Glenavon new boy Joel Cooper smashed five goals in a 7-1 win at Drogheda Town on Saturday. It was a superb performance from the 19-year-old who had just penned a two year contract with the Lurgan Blues only hours before.

Gary Hamilton presents his new number 9 shirt to Joel Cooper before the squad set off for Drogheda. All photos courtesy Gary Ellis/Lurgan Mail

Glenavon and Cooper wasted no time in getting into their stride at the impressive Marian Park ground, taking the lead on four minutes with a delightful cross from Kevin Braniff headed home by Cooper.

Cooper in the heart of the action.

Braniff then set up Declan O’Brien who passed to Mark Sykes whose shot was saved and then an in-swinging corner from Braniff grazed the top of the bar.

On 22 minutes Cooper added a second as he cut across the face of goal, despite going to ground in a tackle he got up and left the full-back standing still and drilled the ball past the keeper.

Mark Sykes in action.

The hat-trick arrived on 38 minutes. A long clearance from keeper Johnny Tuffey found Mark Patton, his cross to O’Brien ended with the keeper making a save but the loose ball was swept in by Cooper. The Ballyclare teenager had not finished – his fourth came five minutes before the break when he caught the home defence napping to nip in and beat the advancing keeper with a header that dropped into the empty net.

Fabio O’Brien denied by the keeper.

Both Andy Hall and Gary Hamilton came on at the start of the second half and they combined to make it 5-0 on 50 minutes with Hamilton curling a left foot shot past the keeper.

On 62 minutes another clinical finish from Cooper made it 6-0 before Drogheda Town pulled one back.

A good day for Glenavon was complete when Patton rounded off the scoring on 78 minutes.

Glenavon: Tuffey, McGrory, Dillon, Lindsay, Neill, Patton, Kilmartin, Sykes, Cooper, O’Brien, Braniff.  Subs: Caldwell, Marshall, Elebert, Hall, Hamilton.