Glenavon 3-1 Institute

Danske Bank Premiership

Mourneview Park, Tuesday 26^th November 2019

Match Report by Calum Jones

Photos by Maynard Collins

Glenavon defeated Institute 3-1 at Mourneview Park on Tuesday night to make it back-to-back wins in the Irish Premiership for the first time this season.

Stephen Murray scored a brace either side of a Robert Garrett screamer to give the Lurgan Blues a 3-0 half-time lead.

The home side took their foot off the gas a bit in the second period, but while Institute did pull a goal back through Jamie McIntyre late on, a second Glenavon victory in the space of five days was never in doubt.

After Friday night’s superb victory over champions Linfield, it was imperative that Glenavon compounded that result with another win in this rearranged fixture, and that is precisely what they did with an assured performance.

However, the away side might easily have grabbed an early lead when Stute striker Joe McCready was presented with a great chance to open the scoring in the second minute of the match after the ball broke kindly for him. He raced into the box and shot at goal but his low right-footed effort went narrowly wide of the far post.

McCready was left to rue that miss when Murray put Glenavon in front just four minutes later. Andrew Mitchell headed James Singleton’s throw-in infield and Murray outmuscled Institute captain Dean Curry before cutting inside Colm McLaughlin and slotting a low shot past Rory Brown and into the far corner to make it 1-0.

Kyle Beggs had a very good game on the right wing for Glenavon, and he nearly added his name to the scoresheet on 11 minutes when he cut inside and fired a left-footed shot just past Brown’s right-hand post.

Beggs was involved again in the 13^th minute when Garrett scored his second goal in as many games. The winger did really well to keep an attack alive close to the corner flag. Eventually the ball found its way to the feet of Garrett and he unleashed a peach of a shot from 20 yards out which beat Brown and went in off the underside of the crossbar.

The Institute keeper had to be alert on 26 minutes tip the ball over the bar following an audacious Aaron Harmon effort from a free-kick out on the left flank.

Murray grabbed his second and Glenavon’s third goal 10 minutes from the end of the first half. Keeper Jonny Tuffey sent a long free-kick upfield and Josh Daniels flicked it on with his head. Murray raced onto the ball and into the Institute penalty area before shooting with his left foot. Brown dived down to his left to make an excellent stop to keep out Murray’s initial effort, but the Stute goalkeeper was unable to keep out the striker’s follow-up shot.

Harmon might have added a fourth goal for Glenavon in the 42^nd minute when he played a one-two with Murray before firing a shot goalward from a tight angle, but the ball cannoned off the near post.

Beggs again came close to getting the goal his performance so richly deserved in the 53^rd minute as Murray squared the ball for him following a slick Glenavon counter attack. Unfortunately the winger’s first touch was a bit too heavy, taking him away from goal and allowing Brown to race off his line and make the save.

Stute captain Curry nearly put the ball past his own goalkeeper on the hour mark when he sliced a wicked Harmon cross towards the far corner. Brown’s save wasn’t the most convincing, but he managed to turn the ball round the post nonetheless.

Three minutes later at the other end Andrew Doyle made a brilliant tackle in his own box to rob the ball from Aaron McGurk just as the Stute striker was about to pull the trigger.

Institute substitute Shane McNamee came agonisingly close to scoring the away side’s opening goal in the 68^th minute when he unleashed an absolute rocket of a shot from 20 yards out which clipped the top of the crossbar.

The visitors eventually did pull a goal back in the 83^rd minute when Jamie McIntyre converted McGurk’s cut-back, but at that stage it was nothing more than a consolation strike and Glenavon held on comfortably to secure another precious three points.

It was a victory which saw the Lurgan Blues leapfrog Carrick Rangers in the league standings to move up to eighth place, and Taylor’s Avenue is where Gary Hamilton’s men travel to this Saturday (30^th November) to take on Niall Currie’s side in another important league game (kick-off 3pm).

Glenavon: 1. Jonny Tuffey (GK) (C), 4. Caolan Marron, 6. Andrew Doyle, 7. Josh Daniels, 8. Rhys Marshall, 9. Andrew Mitchell, 15. Aaron Harmon, 23. Kyle Beggs, 24. Stephen Murray, 27. James Singleton (C), 28. Robert Garrett

Subs: 25. Ross Hunter (for 9. Andrew Mitchell, 55’), 45. Eoin Wearen (for 28. Robert Garrett, 62’), 20. Conor McCloskey (for 7. Josh Daniels, 79’); not used: 2. Daniel Larmour, 3. Paddy Burns, 18. James Taylor (GK), 80. Gary Hamilton

Goals: 24. Stephen Murray (6’, 35’), 28. Robert Garrett (26’)

Yellow Cards: 4. Caolan Marron (76’)

Institute: 31. Rory Brown (GK), 3. Colm McLaughlin, 5. Dean Curry (C), 8. Niall Grace, 15. Conor Tourish, 17. Jamie McIntyre, 19. Joe McCready, 24. Aidan McCauley, 27. Evan Tweed, 29. Graham Crown, 33. Aaron McGurk

Subs: 30. Shane McNamee (for 27. Evan Tweed, 46’), 34. Jack Bradley (for 19. Joe McCready (63’), 14. Jake Morrow (for 29. Graham Crown, 80’); not used: 9. Stephen Curry, 21. Paul Wells (GK), 28. Shaun Leppard, 35. Matthew Stephenson

Goals: 17. Jamie McIntyre (83’)

Yellow Cards: 24. Aidan McCauley (26’), 15. Conor Tourish (51’), 8. Niall Grace (57’), 33. Aaron McGurk (73’)

Referee: Lee Tavinder