It's six of the best from Blues

GLENAVON easily overcame Carrick Rangers in their latest pre-season friendly, winning 6-0 at Taylor’s Avenue on Tuesday evening.

Former Carrick man James Costello was handed the captain’s armband and answered with a great hat-trick whilst strike partner Mark Miskimmin bagged a late brace and Stuart King also got a goal.

The Blues were unquestionably the better side over the course of the evening with Carrick failing to threaten trialist goalkeeper Lee Windrum.

At the other end, Windrum’s opposite number was in constant action with Glenavon forcing several chances. Jay Magee should have opened the scoring early on from Stuart King’s corner but his close range header was well tipped onto the bar.

James Costello was then played in by a cross-field Stuart King ball and after rounding the keeper he slipped the ball home.

Or so some supporters behind the goal thought as they gave a rippled applause. In reality, he somehow tapped it wide of an empty net.

However, he soon made amends as he got on the end of Barry Johnston’s long ball, jinked past a defender and slammed in his first of the evening.

That kick-started Glenavon’s game and it was soon 2-0 as Stuart King slid a low free-kick into the bottom corner.

Into the second period and the Blues kept scoring. Costello curled a fantastic right-footed effort perfectly into the top corner of the net from the apex of the penalty area; a stunning strike to make it 3-0. He then completed his hat-trick, dispossessing the defender and duly tapping past the goalkeeper.

He could even have added a fantastic fourth when he tried an almost identical curling effort to his second goal. However this time it rebounded off the crossbar.

Costello’s strike partner Mark Miskimmin then got in on the action and finished well at the near post after substitute Ryan Harpur made a brilliant run, dazzling his way past three defenders and slipped the ball into his new team-mate.

The final goal of the game came shortly before the 90-minute mark with Miskimmin turning and smashing a stunning effort into the top corner from 20 yards out to cap off a thrilling performance from his side.

GLENAVON: Windrum, Campbell, Haughey, Magee (Marks 67), Turkington, King, Johnston (Murphy 75), Walsh (Harpur 75), Grieve (Shannon 67), Miskimmin, Costello