Glenavon too strong for Town

Glenavon produced another excellent performance on the road to defeat Warrenpoint Town 3-0 at Milltown on Saturday.
Joel Cooper and Kevin Braniff celebrate the first goal.Joel Cooper and Kevin Braniff celebrate the first goal.
Joel Cooper and Kevin Braniff celebrate the first goal.

Joel Cooper also chipped in with a debut goal, in fact, it was the highlight of the game as he ended a mazy run with a lovely finish midway through the second half.

After hammering Ballymena in midweek the Lurgan Blues went into the game on a high and they certainly deserved the points with another top effort.

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With just two minutes gone Mark Clarke tested Johnny Tuffey with a strong drive which he tipped away for a corner.

Joel Cooper and Kevin Braniff celebrate the first goal.Joel Cooper and Kevin Braniff celebrate the first goal.
Joel Cooper and Kevin Braniff celebrate the first goal.

It was nip and tuck for the next ten minutes and then a neat move saw Kevin Braniff win a header, Andy Hall came inside and spread the ball wide to Joel Cooper who tried to make his way to the bye-line the ball ran out of play.

There as a lucky escape for Glenavon on 16 minutes when a long ball out from Dermot McVeigh found Daniel Hughes and his snapshot clipped off the base of the post with Tuffey beaten.

Tuffey was called into action again minutes later as Daniel Hughes got in behind and looked certain to score but his shot was brilliantly saved by the Glenavon keeper.

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The ball was in the net but it was at the other end as Kyle Neill slipped a quick free kick down the line to Braniff, his low cross came off defender Mark Clarke and past the keeper to put the visitors ahead.

Braniff almost made it 2-0 when he nipped in to reach a ball from Rhys Marshall but the keeper got his hand to the ball.

On 35 minutes Eoin Bradley played a great ball out to Hall, he crossed to the far post and Bradley just failed to get his boot to the ball. A minute from the break Marshall’s forward pass found Bradley who held off a defender but his parting shot flew wide.

Warrenpoint’s Liam Bagnall was lucky to escape with a yellow card after a rash challenge on Cooper minutes after the restart.

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The home side looked eager to get level but a ball through the middle caught them cold and Bradley ran on to slide the ball past the exposed Parr on 56 minutes.

The impressive Cooper then nipped past a defender but his effort was saved but as Glenavon kept up the good work Cooper was not to be denied and his reward came on 72 minutes. A great solo run saw him twist and turn past two defenders and then curl a shot past the fingertips of Parr to make it 3-0. A wonderful debut goal for the Ballyclare teenager.

With seven minutes to go Stephen Murray almost pulled a goal back with a chip over Tuffey but the ball came back off the top of the bar.

Glenavon pressed to the end and might have added to their tally but a superb result all round.