RED & BURIED

Three Ovalmen off as Lurgan Blues go top

Willie Garrett and Rhys Marshall were shown second yellow cards late on to leave just 18 men on the pitch at the end.

“I didn’t think the first one was a yellow card if I’m being honest,” said Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton of the first half dismissals.

“The second one was definitely a red in my opinion, it looked as though one player went for Mark Sykes and couldn’t get him and then another got him.”

Glentoran got themselves firmly into the ascendancy on 21 minutes when Nathan Kerr’s cross found McDaid for his headed finish, expertly squeezed between Jonathan Tuffey and the post from six yards.

Herron was controversially sent down the tunnel two minutes later for a challenge on Sykes by referee Keith Kennedy.

Sykes was then subjected to a hugely reckless lunge from Birney with Kennedy issuing the deserved punishment this time.

Ten minutes after the break Marshall hooked a strike from eight yards on to the post and Hall pounced on the rebound for a straightforward tap-in.

He was denied a second when his free kick came off the post but Jenkins blasted in the winner from a few yards out after Elliott Morris had parried Conor McCloskey’s shot in his direction.

Crusaders.

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