Glenavon 'Ligget' with the points

McLaughlin (32)

Glenavon…(0) 2

Molloy (92); Liggett (97)

FOOTBALL can be a cruel game and this certainly was the case for Institute on Saturday.

The Waterside men, who haven’t won in their previous five games, were leading 1-0 until Trevor Molloy’s 92nd minute leveller and incredibly lost the match thanks to Gary Liggett’s 97th minute goal.

This result will probably do a lot of damage to ’Stute’s already low morale; in fact defeats in this manner would effect any side no matter how much confidence they might already have.

One positive John Gregg can take from the game was the solid display by teenaged full-back Graham Crown.

However it was the visitors who had the first serious shot at goal on 21 minutes when Molloy’s 25 yard free-kick was kept out at the second attempt by Gavin Cullen.

The home side broke the deadlock 11 minutes later after a terrible goal keeping error by Andrew Plummer.

David McClements’ left wing corner into the danger area should have been easily gathered by the Lurgan Blues’ keeper, but he dropped the ball and coming in at the back post was Paddy McLaughlin who bundled the ball over the line.

Just before the break the Drumahoe club were unlucky not double their advantage when Joe McCready’s flick-on to Declan Divin, but his shot from the edge of the box was tipped around his right hand post by Plummer.

In a disappointing second half it was ’Stute who went close to grabbing a second just after the hour mark.

A long ball out of defence by David Ogilby fell to McCready, who showed super strength to hold off Jay Magee, but his low drive from just inside the box was parried away by Plummer.

Then just when it looked like Institute were going to win the match, they were hit by two sucker punches in stoppage time.

Firstly two minutes into injury time substitute Stuart King saw his right wing cross headed out by Ruairi Boyle straight to Molloy, who controlled it on the left hand side of the area, before driving the ball through a ruck of players past an unsighted Cullen.

Then in the 97th minute a King corner from the left found Liggett, who got away from his marker Eamonn Seydak, to head home from close range.

Institute: Cullen, Crown, McLaughlin, Ogilby, Seydak; McClements, Shields, Boyle, Holmes; Divin, McCready. Subs: Blackburn for McClements (83), Friars, Mullan, McFadden & Ryan (not used).

Glenavon: Plummer, Shannon, Haughey, Magee, Gracey; Campbell, McDonagh, Harpur, Molloy; Liggett, Hamill. Subs: Carvill for Gracey (H-T); King for Campbell (61); Finley for Hamill (70); Johnston & Costello (not used).

Referee: Mr Dessie Loughery (Limavady).

Cautioned: Hamill (47); Shields (59).