Hamilton is delighted to see his boys’ grit pay off
GLENAVON midfielder Conor McCloskey grabbed a dramatic late winner to pinch three crucial points at The Oval.
The Lurgan Blues appeared to be drifting to their seventh defeat of the Premiership campaign as they trailed to a first-half penalty from Darren Murray.
But with the clock ticking down, the visitors produced a late double whammy with player-manager Gary Hamilton levelling with only eight minutes remaining before McCloskey finished the job right at the end.
The win moved Glenavon — it was only their second victory in their last nine games — to within six points of Crusaders, and put a huge dent in Glentoran’s hopes of a seventh-placed finish which would earn them a slot in the European play-offs.
It may have been smash and grab, but Hamilton was thrilled.
“Credit to the boys, they stuck at it,” he said. “We changed things a bit in the second half and it worked. The lads showed a lot of character.
“We may have left it late but I thought we deserved something. I was a bit fortunate with my goal, but Conor took his really
well. They are the difficult ones because he had a bit of time, but he stuck it away brilliantly.”
Glenavon new boy Seamus Sharkey had his pocket picked in the fifth minute, and lost possession to John Herron. When the midfielder dinked a pass to Robbie McDaid, he lost his footing, which allowed the embarrassed defender to get back and tidy up.
Hamilton’s team then began to ask a few questions. Robbie Garrett scooped a delightful pass into the path of Stephen Murray on 13 minutes only for the striker to balloon over.
Cameron Stewart perhaps should have done better with a towering header after a pin-point cross from Andy Mitchell, but his effort flashed high and wide.
The home team at last posed a threat and, on 24 minutes, the busy McDaid whipped in a teasing cross from the left that had Johnny Tuffey at full stretch.
But it was Tuffey’s opposite number, Dwayne Nelson, who established himself with a stunning save six minutes later when he dived to tip away a powerfully hit shot from Mitchell.
Tuffey almost gifted Murray a goal on 37 minutes when his poor clearance landed at the feet of the former Portadown man, but he could only loop a tame shot back to the keeper.
Glentoran, however, did break the deadlock two minutes later. McDaid had a shot deflected onto the post, but when the alert striker gobbled up the rebound, he was hauled down from behind by defender Caolan Marron.
Referee Jamie Robinson immediately pointed to the spot and Murray stepped up to send Tuffey the wrong way.
Glenavon almost repaired the damage before the break. McCloskey’s corner pin-balled about the box before Sharkey hit the top of the crossbar.
The game developed into a drab affair with little incident until defender Calum Birney roared forward on 73 minutes to meet a Paul Gallagher corner only to see his header go wide.
Glenavon had better luck eight minutes from time. Substitute Eoin Wearen managed to flick the ball on for Hamilton, who toe-poked the ball past Nelson.
Worse was to follow for the home team. Aaron Harmon’s headed clearance managed to send McCloskey through, and he fizzed the ball past Nelson.