Gary Hamilton had to watch from the stands today as he began a five game suspension. Photo by Alan Weir

Kevin Braniff comes into the starting line-up at the expense of Greg Moorhouse who drops to the bench.

Kevin Braniff was looking back to his best today. Photo by Brian Bain

Oran Kearney makes six charges for Coleraine with one eye on Tuesday night’s League Cup semi final against Ballymena United.

Braniff almost put the home side ahead inside the first minute when he got on the end of a low cross from Andy Hall only to see his shot blocked on the line by Lyndon Kane. In the 12th minute he fired just over the bar after a neat pass from Eoin Bradley as Glenavon continued to dominate.

Despite the home side dominating possession it took a smart save by Jonny Tuffey to keep out a free kick from Neil McCafferty in the 18th minute.

Three minutes later Glenavon thought they had scored when Hall’s corner went straight in but the referee disallowed it awarding a free kick out. Moments later Joel Cooper should have scored as he slid in at the back post to get on the end of Hall’s superb cross but he put the ball just wide.

Somehow Michael Doherty managed to keep out this Joel Cooper effort. Photo by Alan Weir.

Cooper had another great chance a minute before the half time whistle. Yet again Hall put the ball on a plate with a low cross into the centre of the goal but Cooper hit the ball straight at Doherty who somehow managed to sit on the ball and prevent it crossing the line.

Photo by Alan Weir

After all that first half pressure it took just two minutes in the second half for Glenavon to get the goal their dominance deserved. Rhys Marshall rose to head in Cooper’s in-swinging corner from almost on the goal line. Two minutes later he hit the post with another header, this time from a corner from the other side by Hall.

Glenavon’s man of the match winner, Caolan Marron carried the ball out of defence and fed a well-weighted pass in to Cooper’s run and the winger drew a good save from Michael Doherty with a driven shot at his near post. From the resulting Hall corner James Singleton just failed to make contact at the back post.

Caolan Marron on the ball. Photo by Brian Bain

Hall played another superb ball into the danger area with a 72nd minute free kick that again was met by the head of Marshall but this time he put his header wide.

In the 77th minute it took a superb reaction save by Jonny Tuffey to deny James McLaughlin an equaliser from a point blank header as the Coleraine frontman got his head to substitute Jamie McGonigle’s cross.

McLaughlin had a great chance to steal a point in the 88th minute when he burst onto a through ball but he seemed to rush his shot and dragged it well wide when he probably had more time than he realized.

Glenavon: Tuffey, McGrory, Lindsay, Marron, Singleton, Hall, Marshall, Sykes, Cooper, Braniff, Bradley. Subs: Neill (Cooper 90), Kilmartin, Patton, O’Brien (Braniff 86), Moorhouse (Bradley 83).

Coleraine: Doherty, Kane, Ogilby, McConaghie, Edgar, Parkhill, McCafferty, Kee (c), McCauley, Allan, McLaughlin. Subs: Johns (GK), Mullan, Douglas, Law (Kee 73), McGonigle (McCauley 61).

Referee: Raymond Hetherington