Emotional night at Mourneview Park as a goal in each half eases Glenavon through to Irish Cup sixth round at the expense of Dundela
Glenavon booked a sixth round Irish Cup date away at Cliftonville after a 2-0 win against Dundela at Mourneview Park.
A goal in each half would ultimately do the damage for Glenavon as Michael O’Connor and Davy McDaid found the back of the net for the in-form Lurgan Blues.
It was an emotional night at Mourneview Park before a ball was kicked as a minute’s silence was held for former chairman Adrian Teer, ex-Linfield and Cliftonville defender Michael Newberry, local Lurgan footballer Michael Downey and Joe McLaughlin, the father of current Glenavon boss Paddy.
The Premiership hosts made all the early running and threatened with 11 minutes on the clock as a poor clearance found its way to McDaid, but the ex-Cliftonville man was denied by a last-ditch block.
Three minutes later, Glenavon thought they had made the breakthrough as Peter Campbell’s cross was on the money for O’Connor. The striker duly obliged with an emphatic finish his effort was ruled out for offside.
Soon after, Campbell was in the thick of the action yet again as he latched onto McDaid’s through ball but the lively winger was thwarted by an onrushing Aaron Hogg.
Just after Matthew Snoddy headed inches wide, the Lurgan Blues’ pressure finally paid off as they hit the front on 36 minutes. A dangerous ball into the box by Paul McGovern was met by O’Connor who found the back of the net.
Hogg – who was previously on the books at Carrick Rangers and Glentoran – proved his worth just four minutes after the restart as he somehow denied O’Connor with a point-blank save, before repeating the trick minutes later as Snoddy was this time thwarted by the custodian.
Dundela’s best chance of the contest arrived on 64 minutes when a delivery into the box wasn’t cleared by Glenavon, allowing Charlie Dornan a strike on goal that fizzed inches wide.
Just when the visitors looked like showing their attacking prowess, Glenavon sealed their passage through to the sixth by grabbing a second on 77 minutes. After watching his initial shot being blocked by a Dundela defender, McDaid once again showed his predatory instincts by firing in the rebound to make it 2-0.
It was almost 3-0 a matter of minutes later as the lively Campbell received the ball from O’Connor before sliding an effort just by the post.
Further half chances were created by McLaughlin’s men as recent recruit Sean Carlin had an effort blocked as Glenavon march on to a sixth round tie against the Reds at Solitude.