NIGHTMARE FOR NAVID DESPITE HIS TWO GOALS

Glenavon 2 Glentoran 2

GLENTORAN livewire Navid Nasseri admitted his two goals were of little consolation after his late fluffed penalty put a huge dent in the Oval club’s title aspirations.

Prior to his missed spot-kick, the pacy Iranian had lit up Mourneview Park with two pieces of predatory brilliance.

He opened the scoring with a rasping drive under Glenavon keeper Jonny Tuffey and made it 2-1 with a dazzling solo effort.

Gutsy Glenavon battled back twice, with Danny Purkis heading a first half equaliser before Aaron Harmon’s hoof from the halfway line managed to find the net.

There seemed little danger as the ball bounced goalwards but it found its way past blundering goalkeeper Marijan Antolovic.

With the clock ticking down, referee Shane Andrews rather harshly pointed to the spot after Paul O’neill’s cross came off the arm of Harmon. Nasseri stepped up only to have his penalty saved by the impressive Tuffey.

“I was feeling good and I was on a hat-trick,” said Nasseri. “I missed a penalty in the

Irish Cup (against Portadown) and that was the first one I’ve ever fluffed in my career.

“But I was confident, and I thought I’d bury it in the bottom corner, but the goalkeeper got a good hand to it.

“Personally, my goals are cancelled out by missing the penalty. I’m devastated for the team. It was a real kick in the teeth to us.”

Yet Nasseri (above) believes his team can claw back

Linfield’s eight point lead at the top of the Premiership table.

“We are still not out of the title race,” he said. “We still have to play Linfield twice, otherwise I’d say it would be game, set and match.

“There is still a lot to play for.”

Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton praised the vital contribution of his keeper Tuffey.

“Jonny made two outstanding saves,” he said. “One was the penalty and the other in the first half when he saw the ball late on and he pushed it out for a corner.

“I’m delighted for him. Jonny would be the first to admit he hasn’t been as good as he has been over the past few years for us, but in the last two games, he’s been back to his best.”