Glenavon 2-2 Institute

Danske Bank Premiership

Mourneview Park, Saturday 11^th January 2020

Match Report by Calum Jones

Photos by Alan Weir and Maynard Collins

Glenavon came from two goals down to salvage a point against 11^th-placed Institute at Mourneview Park on Saturday.

Joe McCready gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot on 13 minutes after Seamus Sharkey was penalised for a foul on Alex Pomeroy.

Pomeroy then doubled Institute’s lead just before the hour mark when he took full advantage of some poor Glenavon defending before slotting the ball past Jonny Tuffey.

Debutant Danny Purkis responded for the Lurgan Blues in the 69^th minute with a superb finish on the volley after he’d been picked out by Caolan Marron.

Confusion abounded over Glenavon’s equaliser, as the ball was eventually forced over the line following a scramble in the Stute box after a Sammy Clingan corner. The stadium announcer credited Purkis with the goal, post-game reports online suggested Matthew Snoddy had scored it, but Glenavon players themselves have confirmed that it was actually substitute Conor McCloskey who got the final touch.

Glenavon started the game brightly enough, with Purkis flashing a shot across the face of goal in the 5^th minute.

A minute later, a good move from right to left involving Marron, Greg Moorhouse and Josh Daniels created an opening for Dylan Davidson. The winger got a low shot on target with his left foot from just inside the penalty area, but Stute keeper Rory Brown made a comfortable save.

The away side grabbed the lead against the run of play on 13 minutes. McCready’s first-time through-ball sent strike partner Pomeroy clear. Sharkey tried to recover with a last-gasp tackle, but he took Pomeroy down before making contact with the ball and referee Chris Morrison had no option but to point at the penalty spot. McCready stepped up to take the spot-kick and sent Tuffey the wrong way as he passed the ball inside the right-hand upright to open the scoring.

Davidson had the ball in the Institute net in the 21^st minute, but the linesman had already raised his flag to rule the effort out for offside.

Two minutes later, Daniels’ low cross from the right picked Moorhouse out at the back post. The striker’s low shot went just wide of Brown’s right-hand post when he really should have tested the goalkeeper.

Brown then made a decent save a minute later to keep out Snoddy’s well-struck shot from 12 yards.

On the stroke of half-time Clingan curled in a corner from the left. The Institute defence could only clear as far as James Singleton, and the Glenavon full-back headed the ball goalwards, but Stute captain Dean Curry, who had a very impressive game at the heart of the visitors’ defence, headed the ball over the bar to safety.

Ten minutes into the second half Sharkey had a wonderful opportunity to atone for conceding the penalty when he got his head on a Clingan corner, but the centre-back sent his effort wide of the far post.

Institute hit Glenavon on the break a minute later and McCready slipped a ball into the box for Pomeroy. Tuffey raced off his line and made a superb one-on-one save to deny the away side a second goal.

However, Tuffey was powerless to deny Pomeroy a couple of minutes later, as Stute did double their lead on 59 minutes. The striker was allowed to take the ball down midway inside the Glenavon half and shrugged off half-hearted challenges from Sharkey and Clingan as he carried it all the way into the box before calmly slotting past Tuffey to make it 2-0 to the visitors.

Davidson’s free-kick from deep on the right struck the far post on 63 minutes before Daniels and Daniel Larmour both saw shots blocked in quick succession, with Institute eventually clearing the ball to safety.

Glenavon finally got their breakthrough on 69 minutes. Caolan Marron did brilliantly on the right, beating Cormac Burke with a clever stepover and driving to the byline before picking Purkis out with a cross. The striker thumped an excellent first-time volley past Brown at the near post to halve the home side’s deficit.

The Lurgan Blues scored their equaliser on 81 minutes. Clingan sent a corner over from the left and Singleton rose to head the ball into the six-yard box. Snoddy got to the ball just before McCready could clear it, stabbing it across goal, and substitute McCloskey was on hand to poke the ball over the line and draw the hosts level.

Glenavon had one real opportunity to grab a winner when Daniels got on the end of a long Marron ball into the Institute penalty area, but the winger couldn’t catch his shot right and the ball went harmlessly wide.

Glenavon: 1. Jonny Tuffey (GK) (C), 2. Daniel Larmour, 4. Caolan Marron, 7. Josh Daniels, 12. Greg Moorhouse, 16. Sammy Clingan, 19. Danny Purkis, 26. Matthew Snoddy, 27. James Singleton, 34, Dylan Davidson, 55. Seamus Sharkey

Subs: 10. Conan Byrne (for 34. Dylan Davidson, 66’), 30. Jordan Jenkins (for 12. Greg Moorhouse, 71’), 20. Conor McCloskey (for 55. Seamus Sharkey, 75’); not used: 6. Andrew Doyle, 15. Aaron Harmon, 23. Kyle Beggs, 28. Robert Garrett

Goals: 19. Danny Purkis (69’), 20. Conor McCloskey (81’)

Yellow Cards: 55. Seamus Sharkey (12’), 34. Dylan Davidson (31’), 20. Conor McCloskey (89’)

Institute: 31. Rory Brown (GK), 2. Ryan Morrow, 3. Colm McLaughlin, 5. Dean Curry (C), 16. Gareth Brown, 19. Joe McCready, 27. Evan Tweed, 29. Graham Crown, 32. Cormac Burke, 37. Oran Brogan, 38. Alex Pomeroy

Subs: 10. Ahu Obhakhan (for 38. Alex Pomeroy, 61’), 34. Jack Bradley (for 32. Cormac Burke, 69’), 39. Robbie Hume (for 19. Joe McCready, 83’); not used: 12. Mark Scoltock, 20. Brendan McLaughlin, 21. Paul Wells (GK), 24. Aidan McAuley

Goals: 19. Joe McCready (13’), 38. Alex Pomeroy (59’)

Yellow Cards: 3. Colm McLaughlin (42’), 10. Ahu Obhakhan (72’), 31. Rory Brown (85’), 37. Oran Brogan (90+3’)

Referee: Chris Morrison