Glenavon Coach Brian McLoughlin discusses the game with Lurgan Mail Sports Editor Gary Ellis.
Gary Hamilton reverts to the same line-up that started last Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Cliftonville. Rodney McAree makes five changes from Tuesday’s Mid Ulster Cup team that beat Glenavon 3-2: Dougie Wilson, Ryan Harpur, Alan Teggart, Jamie Glackin and ex-Glenavon striker Andrew Mitchell all come in from the kick off.
Glenavon started the game at a fast pace, forcing three corners inside the first two minutes. From the third one Rhys Marshall had a header blocked and his follow up shot seemed to hit Eoin Bradley enroute towards the goal.
Glenavon put pressure on Swifts keeper Andy Coleman from a corner. Photo by Brian Bain
Bradley then broke down the right and fired wide from the edge of the area.
In the 9th minute Mitchell crossed from the left for Ryan Harpur but his right foot volley flew wide.
The clearest chance of the half came in the 12th minute when Kris Lowe was caught in possession by Mark Sykes and as the young Glenavon midfielder carried the ball towards the Swifts box he had Bradley and Daniel Kearns either side of him but he elected to shoot and Andy Coleman did well to advance and make a save at close range.
Mark Sykes spurns a chance to open the scoring. Photo by Alan Weir
On the half hour Teggart neatly sidestepped a challenge and swept the ball out to Jamie Glackin who saw his low shot across Jonny Tuffey touched around the post by the Glenavon keeper.
Bradley had a shot from 12 yards blocked by Dermot McCaffrey and Andy Hall ran onto a lay-off from Joel Cooper only to see his shot deflected for a corner.
Eoin Bradley and Dougie Wilson battle for the ball. Photo by Brian Bain.
In the first minute of the second half Bradley was denied by the legs of Coleman as the Glenavon striker went for a rare right foot shot from a cut-back by Kearns.
Cooper finally put Glenavon ahead in the 52nd minute with a neat left foot finish from just inside the ‘D’ from a pass in from the left by Hall.
Glenavon celebrate Joel Cooper’s goal. Photo by Alan Weir
Five minutes later Lowe ran onto Mitchell’s knock down but he blazed his shot well over the bar. Harpur then tried his luck with a 25 yard shot that curled just wide of Tuffey’s left-hand post following a lay-off by Glackin who then saw a dipping volley land on the roof of the net.
Substitute Gary Liggett drew a good save from Tuffey with a 25 yard drive that the Glenavon keeper did well to hold on to in the wet conditions.
Eyes on the ball by Gary Liggett and Simon Kelly. Photo by Alan Weir.
In the end it was a hard-fought victory for Glenavon that sees them move into fourth place ahead of Coleraine on goal difference.
