Spoils shared in a drab draw

GLENAVON and Lisburn Distillery played out a rather dull 0-0 draw on Tuesday night.

Chances were few and far between at a blustery New Grosvenor with the wind blowing straight down the pitch and doing little to add anything to the stagnant nature of the game.

Neither side were particularly poor, but then neither did much to raise the excitement levels either and both goalkeepers spent much of their time taking in the less than enthralling midfield battle.

Blues’ boss, Marty Quinn made three changes to his line-up, bringing in Ryan Harpur, James Costello and new signing, Hugh Davey at the expense of Eamon Murray, Trevor Molloy and Paul Carvill. Davey went on to impress in his debut and looks to be a solid full-back that matches Quinn’s typical hard-working and physical requirements of his players.

In the opening minutes, Davey was given plenty of chances to impress in defence as Distillery began the brighter, relentlessly pinning Glenavon into their own half. However, as we were to become accustomed to over the ninety minutes, their occasionally promising play scarcely led to goalmouth action.

It even took a deflection from Hugh Dickson on Austin Friel’s left wing cross to first, albeit exceedingly tamely, test Andrew Plummer in the Glenavon goal. Mark Patton then fired a 25-yard effort at goal but again Plummer made a routine save.

At the other end, Barry Johnston’s in-swinging free-kick which was deflected just wide by a Distillery defender was the height of the goalmouth action in the opening 20 minutes.

However, James Costello then suddenly burst clear of the defence thanks to Mark Haughey’s ball forward. The striker took his time, lined up his shot and then lobbed it neatly over the keeper but wide of the far post.

After Mark Cooling had harmlessly fired wide from 25 yards at the other end, the nippy Austin Friel neatly dummied his way past Hugh Dickson before rifling his shot straight at Andy Plummer.

The game then returned to monotony but hold on; Costello breaks free of the Distillery defence and scores neatly into the bottom corner! The game springs into life with the goal. It is then swiftly ruled out for offside.

Four minutes later and Glenavon have the ball in net again. Conor Walsh’s placed header from Ryan Harpur’s cross has surely put the Blues ahead. So thought the fans but it wasn’t to be as the linesman’s flag was again raised and the goal was again chalked off.

After Mark Patton and Jay Magee shot wide for their respective sides, the ball fell for Glenn Ferguson on the edge of the box who looked set to pull the trigger which has all too often shot down Glenavon in recent years but Barry Johnston was alert to the danger and was out quick to put in a perfect tackle and avert the danger.

In first half injury time the away side almost took the lead as Ryan Harpur went past his marker and hit a low 25 yard effort just inches wide of the post with the goalkeeper beaten.

After the break, it was Distillery who started the brighter but again couldn’t find a route to goal. Their only effort in the opening period of the half came through a Davy McAlinden free-kick which was rifled harmlessly into the wall.

Glenavon’s strike force of Tony Grant and James Costello linked up on a rare occasion on 58 minutes with a neat one-two before Grant smashed his 20 yard effort over the bar.

After Andy Plummer had fumbled what should have been a routine catch from a free-kick, the goalkeeper saved his side when he stopped Austin Friel on 67 minutes. Distillery’s new signing was set clear of the defence and his first effort was blocked by the stopper. However, the ball fell back to attacker who then somehow missed the gaping goal, putting his subsequent effort wide of the post.

As the wind-assisted home side continued to enjoy a lengthy period of dominance, Glenn Ferguson missed their only other gilt-edged chance when Davey McAlinden headed the ball into the six-yard box where Ferguson could only nod it into the grateful arms of Andrew Plummer.

In a bid to win the game, Glenavon boss Marty Quinn brought Gary Liggett and Shea Campbell on up front at the expense of the starting strike duo of Grant and Costello but the substitute pair couldn’t find a route to goal despite Campbell having a golden chance in injury time.

Stuart King’s free-kick into the box was headed down by Hugh Dickson for Campbell to direct the ball narrowly over the bar from 10 yards out.

As Glenavon pushed, their only chances came from two more free-kicks which failed to beat the first man and so the game ebbed to a drab 0-0 scoreline, denying Blues’ boss, Marty Quinn the three points he had so badly desired.

LISBURN DISTILLERY: Matthews, Callaghan, Simpson, McAlinden, McShane, Patton (Gawley 71), Cooling, Thompson, Kilmartin, Ferguson (Browne 86), Friel (D Walsh 79). Unused subs: Mok, McAllister

GLENAVON: Plummer, Magee, Dickson, Walsh, Grant (Liggett 83), King, Haughey, Costello (Campbell 88), Davey, Johnston, Harpur. Unused subs: Murray, McDonagh, Carvill.