Linfield return to Premiership summit as Rhys Annett and Joel Cooper score in victory over 10-man Glenavon

Team news:

GLENAVON: Brown, Kerr, Birney, Snoddy, Malone, Campbell, Quinn, Baird, McCloskey, Prendergast, Garrett.

Subs: Purvis, Teggart, Mulvenna, McDonagh, Ward, Henderson, Shiel.

LINFIELD: Johns, Hall, Finlayson, Clarke, East, Millar, McClean, Mulgrew, Cooper, Fitzpatrick, Annett.

Subs: Walsh, Newberry, McCullough, McKay, Archer, Doherty, Graham.

FIRST HALF

12: Matthew Fitzpatrick gets a free header after a brilliant delivery from Kirk Millar, but can only direct it straight at Rory Brown from close range.

18: RED CARD: Glenavon midfielder Robbie Garrett is shown a straight red card against his former club by referee Evan Boyce for a challenge on Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew. That’s his second dismissal of the season (also sent off against Larne in September).

24: Conor McCloskey is replaced by Sean Ward as Stephen McDonnell looks for defensive reinforcements with Garrett’s red card.

29: Joel Cooper’s shot from the edge of the box sails just wide of Rory Brown’s post.

33: GOAL: Glenavon 0 – 1 LINFIELD (RHYS ANNETT) – The unrelenting Linfield pressure eventually brings their first goal as Rhys Annett swivels after taking Kyle McClean’s pass and drives his shot into the bottom corner, adding to two against Dungannon Swifts last weekend.

42: Matthew Fitzpatrick hits the post and then Kirk Millar’s shot is tipped round the woodwork by Rory Brown.

45+2: Kyle McClean is shown a yellow card after colliding with Matthew Snoddy, who went to ground holding his face. Glenavon players and supporters wanted to see red.

HALF TIME: Glenavon 0 – 1 Linfield

Linfield boss David Healy makes one change at the break with Josh Archer replacing Jamie Mulgrew.

SECOND HALF

57: Tiarnan Mulvenna comes on in place of Aaron Prendergast for Glenavon. Jack Malone is then booked for dragging down former teammate Matthew Fitzpatrick.

61: Conor Kerr and Calum Birney follow Malone into the book in quick succession.

65: Glenavon’s first real chance of the half as Peter Campbell plays the ball into Niall Quinn, who joined from Linfield this summer. His left-footed shot zips just wide.

68: Kyle McClean’s header bounces back off the crossbar and then Rory Brown is forced into a good save from Joel Cooper’s vicious shot.

69: Goalscorer Rhys Annett is replaced by Aodhan Doherty.

70: Linfield defender Ben Hall gets caught in possession by Jack Malone, but the Glenavon midfielder can’t sort his feet in time to get a shot away. Stephen McDonnell gets the crowd going heading into the final 20 minutes.

76: GOAL: Glenavon 0 – 2 LINFIELD (JOEL COOPER) – Substitute Aodhan Doherty makes a superb surging run from midfield and slides the ball into Joel Cooper, who makes no mistake.

81: Calum Birney is replaced by Stephen Teggart.

85: Braiden Graham comes on in place of Kirk Millar.

90: Four minutes added on.

FULL TIME: Glenavon 0 – Linfield 2