Irish Premiership League Report: Newry City 1 - 2 Glenavon
- Joshua Bunting
- Sat, Aug 18 2018
Goals from Gary Muir and Stephen Donnelly saw Glenavon pick up all three points in a 2-1 win at the Newry Showgrounds in what proved to be a end to end game on Friday evening.
It was the hosts who started on top as Mark McCabe fired over the crossbar after good link up play with Stephen Hughes.
On 15 minutes Darren Mullen thought his side took the lead as Stephen Teggart latched onto another pass from Hughes but he drilled his low effort just wide of the target.
Glenavon however took the lead after 22 minutes with a controversial penalty when Mark Sykes was adjudged to have been brought down by goalkeeper Andy Coleman inside the box.
Up stepped Muir to slot home the penalty sending Coleman the wrong way in the process.
The Lurgan Blues could have doubled the lead several minutes later as Sykes burst into the box but his powerful effort was well saved by Coleman tipping the ball away for a corner.
However Gary Hamilton’s side doubled their lead on 34 minutes when Donnelly broke free down the right and beat Coleman to the ball lifting his shot over him and into the net despite the best efforts of the City defender on the line.
On the stroke of the break Newry pulled a goal back as Mark Hughes played in Teggart and he drilled the ball into the net leaving Tuffy with very little chance of saving.
Glenavon started the second half on top and should have extended their lead on 47 minutes as Donnelly was played in by Sykes but Coleman stood firm to make a fantastic low save.
The Lurgan Blues then created another fine change minutes later as Josh Daniels got in behind his man and fired a low ball across the box which Donnelly just couldn’t connect with.
It was the home side who then came close to an equaliser as substitute Kevin McArdle picked the ball up out-wide before linking up with Stefen Lavery but his cross was overhit and allowed Rhys Marshall to clear on 62 minutes.
Hamilton then saw his side inches away from sealing the game once again as Daniels put in a dangerous cross but John Boyle was there to cover with a last ditch header as Andrew Mitchell and the dangerous Donnelly were waiting in the middle.
Newry thought they had equalised on 71 minutes when Taggart hit a free kick into the box before the ball eventually found the feet of Hughes but he could only fire into the hands of Tuffey.
Glenavon could have wrapped the points up shortly afterwards as a poor Coleman clearance gifted the ball to Mitchell but he chose to set up Conor McCloskey instead of going for goal before his effort was blocked by Darren King.
Coleman then made yet another good stop to keep his side in the game as he tipped away a Mcloskey corner that looked like it had sailed into the net.
With only two minutes to go Mullen almost equalised as Hughes saw his shot superbly kept out by the reflexes of Tuffey following yet another goalmouth scramble as the Lurgan Blues held on to win the points.
Newry City: Coleman, King, Noonan, McCabe, Carville, Hughes, Hughes, Delaney, Teggart, Boyle, McCann.
Glenavon: Tuffey, Marron, Doyle, Grace, Daniels, Marshall, Mitchell, Sykes, Hall, Donnelly, Singleton.
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