IRISH LEAGUE: Frustration for Glenavon's Gary Hamilton at cards

It’s the sixth time in the last 11 league games that his team have given up an advantage to draw - this time 1-1 at home to Glentoran, Joel Cooper giving Glenavon a half-time lead.

However, as the hosts ended the game with 10 men - James Singleton given a second yellow in injury-time - referee Ian McNabb bore the brunt of Hamilton’s frustrations.

The full-back’s first booking, from the stands, appeared puzzling at best as he slid in innocuously for a 50:50 ball.

That only added to Hamilton’s ill-feeling after his question marks over Jay Magee’s equaliser, which came from a disputed free-kick.

“We were at a referees’ course during the summer and the referees said that if the hands were within the body, a short space away, it’s not a handball because the player can’t get away from it,” he said.

“I feel like decisions like that are going against us at the minute. Even the Singleton red card. The second yellow card is a booking but the first one, how he ends up with a booking is beyond me.

“We’re missing another player next week for a decision that in our opinion was the wrong one. If I see it on TV and I’m wrong, I’ll phone Ian and I’ll apologise.”

Glentoran boss Gary Haveron, meanwhile, was pleased that his side at least ended a run of 286 minutes without a goal.

“We created lots of chances,” he said. “It’s not just Curtis (Allen)’s responsibility to get the goals so I was pleased to see a centre-half weigh in. I expect the likes of Jay, Callum Birney, James Ferrin, Jonny Addis all to chip in with goals.

“We showed both sides of our game. We looked a threat going forward but we had to be strong because they fired a lot of balls forward. It’s pleasing when you see players throwing their bodies on the line.”