Gary grabs late winner for Glenavon

The Glenavon manager came off the bench to seal a fantastic win for his side and go some way to make up for the shock Irish Cup exit just a week earlier.

The first ten minutes saw little action with the home team not really forcing themselves on the visitors but they did carve out a chance when Jordan Stewart put David Scullion off on a run but his angled lob flew wide.

Glenavon took the lead on 15 minutes after Kevin Braniff floated over a free kick and James Singleton rose unchallenged to direct a header wide of Elliott Morris.

It was just the start Gary Hamilton’s side needed and they almost got a sniff of a second as they broke on the counter with McGrory leading the chase as he fed Bradley, but he just failed to pick out McGrory with the return pass.

From another Braniff corner Singleton almost had another free header but he was quickly back in his own box to make a brilliant block tackle to deny Curtis Allen who was in the clear.

Allen was on the charge again with another ball over the top but Blayney had spotted the danger and stepped in to clear.

Singleton was a constant threat in the Glens box and from a Bradley corner his effort was cleared away from goal by Henderson. Glenavon broke again a few minutes later with Bradley seeing his shot pushed out into the patch of Caldwell but his attempt at a first time shot failed as the ball sliced wide.

Curtis Allen had the first shot of the second half but he was well off target but on 50 minutes Glenavon should have doubled the lead after a neat back heel from Braniff saw them break, McGrory sent over a decent cross but unmarked Bradley mistimed his jump and in the end Morris gathered.

Glenavon were made to pay for that miss as David Scullion picked out Steven Gordon who drilled the ball through a ruck of players and past Blayney to level it.

Gordon had two further chances but on both occasions Blayney denied him

On 68 minutes Gary Hamilton replaced Caldwell and was subjected a boos from the home fans. Hamilton did not take long to have a shot on goal, a cross from Bradley was only half cleared and the Glenavon player manager struck a half volley which was blocked.

With the game in stoppage time Hamilton took a deep free kick, the ball was not cleared and when it came back in Hamilton charged in to drive an unstoppable shot past Morris. What a goal, what a finish.

Glenavon: Blayney, McKeown, Murphy, Singleton, Marshall, Caldwell, Martyn, McCabe, McGrory, Bradley, Braniff.

Subs: Lindsay, Hamilton, Patton, Sykes, Drylie.