Glenavon started the better and Andy Hall hit the bar with a free kick in the 15th minute. The visitors continued to play the better football in the first half but just couldn’t get the goal their play deserved.
Tomas Cosgrove glanced a 26th minute corner from James Knowles across goal and past the far post for a goal kick and two minutes later it took a great tackle by Rhys Marshall to deny Jay Donnelly’s run onto Chris Curran’s through ball.
Unfortunately Kevin Braniff pulled up with a hamstring pull as he ran into the box to get onto a through ball and had to be replaced by Declan O’Brien after just 29 minutes.
In the final minute of the half Kris Lindsay headed just over from a Hall free kick.
Ten minutes into the second half the hosts went ahead when Chris Curran benefited after a clearance was blocked and the ball spun up and as he controlled it his touch took him clear of Kris Lindsay’s attempted last-ditch tackle and he smashed a shot past Jonny Tuffey. That was very hard on Glenavon after they had dominated the first half.
Fabio equalised with a tap in after great work by subsitute Joel Cooper who raced down the left wing onto Hall’s pass, left Jonny Flynn for dead and sent over a low cross leaving the striker an easy finish.
The Lurgan Blues had a 72nd minute ‘goal’ disallowed for offside after Lindsay headed back Kyle Neill’s cross to the back post and Mark Sykes fired the ball into the net.
Glenavon had a great chance to win it in the last minute of stoppage time when Cooper’s shot was parried by Peter Burke and the ball fell to O’Brien about 8 yards out but he sliced his shot well wide.
Teams
Cliftonville: Burke, Ives, Flynn, Smyth (McGovern 87), Cosgrove, Curran, Knowles, Garrett (George 81), Donnelly, McDaid (C Murray 73), Catney (c). Subs: McMullan, McGovern, C. Murray, M Murray, George
Cautions: Smyth 31, Cosgrove 52, C Murray 90+4
Glenavon: Tuffey, Marshall, Lindsay(c), Kelly, Neill, Hall, Kilmartin, Sykes, Patton (Cooper 65), Braniff (O’Brien 29), Kearns (McGrory 87). Subs: McKeown, Cooper, McGrory, Buckley, O’Brien.
Cautions: Neill 40, Marshall 68, Hall 74
Referee: Raymond Hetherington