Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton is playing it cool after his side beat Dungannon Swifts

Hamilton had just watched his side retain top spot in the league table before they travel to Coleraine next weekend but the Lurgan Blues chief was keeping his feet well and truly on the ground and knows that a trip to the Bannsiders will test his side’s title winning credentials.

“We are going well but we have a massive, massive game next weekend.

“They lose very few matches in the league and they have been on a unbelievable run. And it’s not if they are lucky, they are winning these games on merit.

“And we will have to go down there next week and prove we are good enough. And it still remains to be seen if we are good enough.

“But to get a result down there we will need everybody performing and the attitude will have to be right. And we will have to have hunger and desire.

“We have good players but what wins you games in this league is hunger, desire and work rate.”

Glenavon’s goals on Saturday came from Alan Hall and Andrew Mitchell - while the Swifts only reply came from Kris Lowe.

And Hamilton says he was pleased with the way his side dug in after the Swifts had pulled a goal back.

“We had a bit of defending near the end and they sent your big man Lafferty up-front and he is a handful for any team and they started knocking long balls up to him.

“They played off him and it helped them get them back in behind us. But I thought we were very professional today and the back four was superb - as well as the goalkeeper.

“We created things going forward as we always do and the only criticism we have is that we didn’t take our chances.

“When we came in at half-time we should have been two or three goals up but we didn’t do it.

“We came out in the second half and scored and I thought their goal was a bit lucky in my opinion.

“Tuffey made a good save and the ball went straight back to the striker and he tapped it home.

“That goal gave them hope and they threw everything at us but we defended brilliantly.”

And Dungannon manager Kris Lindsay - in his first game in charge of the Swifts - was pleased with his side’s performance even though the result did not go their way.

“In the first half we did alright and kept our shape reasonable well but at times we played ourselves into trouble but I have only had one training session with the boys so it will take me a while to get my ideas across to them.

“I had a chat with them at half-time and in the second half we played very well and the boys are gutted they didn’t get something from the game.

“And that shows you the attitude in that changing room and the last 15 to 20 minutes Glenavon were sitting in and that is testament to my boys,

“They gave it a real rattle and they did well.”

And Lindsay says there were plenty of positives from the performance and signs for the future were good.

“Of course. I know there is a good changing room here and I know I have a good squad of players.

“And in that second half performance proves that but it is up to us now to take that performance into our next game against Warrenpoint.

“We have to do it for 90 minutes and get the three points. I can take confidence and positives into the game against Warrenpoint next weekend.

“It been a manic few days since joining the club and it was good to get involved in the football side of things. It was great to doing training on Thursday night and then this match.”