GLENAVON 4 DONEGAL CELTIC 2
There was to be no happy return to Mourneview Park for Packie McAllister his old side, Glenavon, picked up the three points in an impressive display.
Glenavon’s player/manager, Gary Hamilton, led from the front to put his side ahead, turning Guy Bates’ cut back from the byline in with the side of his foot on 10 minutes.
They doubled their lead almost 10 minutes later with Andy McGrory scoring his fourth goal inside a week, bundling the ball over the line after Bates’ initial shot had been blocked.
Mark Haughey was unlucky not to add a third by the half-time whistle, seeing two goalbound headers from Kyle Neill’s corners saved by John Connolly and another crashing off the crossbar.
DC pulled a goal back when David McAllister fired home from 25 yards, the ball creeping past Andy Coleman from long range.
But Glenavon re-established their two goal lead when Kyle Neill’s free kick from the corner of the box went directly in.
When Paul McVeigh made it 3-2 on the stroke of the 90th minute, racing onto a ball which had deflected off Hamilton, you could have forgiven the home supporters for feeling a bit nervous.
But when Pat McShane slipped to gift Bates possession on the halfway line, there was only going to be one outcome as he played substitute Brendan Bennett - who had come on for fellow sub Matty Burrows - through on goal to round Connolly and slot home.
GLENAVON: Coleman, Neill, M Haughey, Kilmartin, Doherty, Bates, Lindsay, Brown, McGrory, Martyn, Hamilton. Subs: Burrows (Doherty 46), Turkington, Mitchell, White, Bennett (Burrows 89).
DONEGAL CELTIC: Connolly, McShane, Hughes, Burns, McCann, Downey, Cleary, Miskimmin, Devine, Conlon, Gargan. Subs: McNamee, McVeigh (Conlon 51), McIlkenny (Cleary 70), J Haughey, McAllister (Gargan 58).
Referee: Tim Marshall.
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