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Match Report

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Glentoran produced a composed and professional display at The Oval today to power past Glenavon, keeping up the momentum gained from their recent run of good form, and keeping alive their title ambitions.

Alan McDonald's scored three goals to collect three points, and move within three points of the top of the Carnegie Irish Premier League.

Of the 16 players selected for the squad that was victorious at Institute last week, McDonald was today without goalkeeper Elliott Morris, along with Daryl Fordyce, Kyle Neill and Philip Carson.

Despite that, the team hardly missed a beat, as a Colin Nixon penalty was followed by strikes from David Scullion and Darren Boyce to keep the pressure on the recently faltering league leaders.

While Linfield and Cliftonville have spent the last few weeks trading places at the top of the table, McDonald's men have quietly moved to within striking distance of both, and with just 5 games remaining of the campaign, Glentoran have been the leagues form team, notching up 18 points from a possible 18 since the start of February, knocking in 18 goals in the meantime.

Glentoran started brightly, and but for a goal line clearance Nixon and Halliday could have conspired to open the scoring on just 3 minutes.

The visitors had set their stall out to defend, and were making the Glens work hard to find space. But the home side were playing with patience and wait for their opportunity to strike.

It looked as though that opportunity had arrived half way through the half, when Jason Hill started a move that involved Michael Halliday and Gary Hamilton, before the ball came to Darren Boyce. Boyce saw his early effort blocked by the defence, and the Glenavon 'keeper was quick to react to smother the second effort.

That signaled a busy period for the Mourneview men and their rearguard. On the 25 minute mark, Hamilton thought he had opened the scoring after touching home from a corner, but the referee spotted an infringement, and gave a free-kick against the Glens.

Glenavon couldn't hold our too much longer, and just moments later Nixon sent a header goalward from a Hamilton cross. The effort was blocked by the hand of a defender, giving the referee no option but the point to the penalty spot.

And of course, it was Nixon who stepped up and stroked the ball home for his 3rd goal in as many games.

After that, the dangerous David Scullion had three opportunities to get on the score sheet, producing 2 good saves from the goalkeeper and a well times block from his defence before the half time whistle.

The first of those opportunities came after an excellent pass from Dean Fitzgerald allowed Hamilton to slide a perfect through ball to the winger.

Five minutes into the second half, Boyce saw a looping header drop onto the roof of the net with the goalkeeper stranded, as the Glens went in search of more goals.

But on the hour mark, Glenavon showed that they could still pose a threat, when Paul Carvill struck the underside of the cross bar with a free-kick. The ball looked to cross the line, but the linesman was perfectly placed and waved away the protests of the Lurgan Blues.

In the next 20 minutes, Scullion saw a header fly over the cross bar, before setting up Dean Fitzgerald, who blazed his effort over the bar also. Scullion also did well to barge his was through the visiting defence, and wrestle the ball to Halliday, but the ball was eventually scrambled clear by the dogged visitors.

Ever lively on the counter attack, Glens custodian Michael Dougherty had to be alert to save well from Trevor Molloy at close range.

But on 72 minutes the game looked to be put beyond Glenavon, when the impressive Scullion scored his 10th goal of the season.

Boyce started the move on the right wing when he found Nixon. Nixon burst forward, and exchanged possession with Hamilton before crossing into the box for Scullion to volley home with his right foot. It was no less than the winger deserved on the day.

That goal took the sting out of the game, with little goal mouth action in the final 15 minutes. During that time, Hamilton had a left foot shot off target, while Dougherty made a fine one handed save to prevent Gerard McMahon scoring with a left foot volley. He also watched Hugh Dickson's header go over the bar in the final minute.

Dougherty would have a hand in the final action of the game, when he punted a long ball deep into Glenavon's half in the 3rd minute of injury time. The visiting 'keeper rushed off his line to collect the ball, but Darren Boyce was on hand to intelligently lift the ball over his own head, and the keeper, dropping it into the empty net to seal the victory.

Courtesy of
Russell Pritchard/
PRESSEYE