NIFL Premiership

Glenavon 3–1 Cliftonville

GLENAVON extracted revenge on Cliftonville after their Irish Cup exit two weeks ago with a comfortable 3-1 win over the Reds at Mourneview Park on Saturday afternoon.

A quick-fire double from Michael O'Connor and Jack Malone had the hosts in the driving seat, with David McDaid netting from the spot in the early stages of the second half. 

It was an afternoon to forget for Cliftonville with a late consolation strike from Stephen McGuinness coming too late to threaten any credible fightback in Lurgan as boss Jim Magilton admitted his side was second best. 

"We were poor and overall, we didn't match the intensity that Glenavon brought to the game,” he felt. 

"Overall, I thought that we were second best and we had too many individual performances fell well below par. 

"As a result, against a team like this where there is a lot of attack-minded players in their team.

"If you give them the opportunities, they are going to take them. They did today and they punished us.”

Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton made three changes from Wednesday evening's win over Carrick Rangers. 

Eric McWoods dropped out through injury and Shea Gordon and Harry Wilson dropped to the bench with Ryan Curran, Conor Pepper and Shea Kearney coming into the starting XI.

Glenavon started brightly and had two chances within the first five minutes. David Toure crossed and Len O'Sullivan rose highest but glanced wide, and David McDaid then let fly with a low shot that Lewis Ridd held onto. 

On the quarter-hour mark, debutant Glenavon keeper Tadhg Ryan spilled the ball at the edge of the box, though Alex Parsons was unable to take advantage, clipping a shot inches over the bar. 

The hosts hit the front before the half-hour mark. Michael O'Connor bustled past Conor Pepper and steered a low shot beyond Ridd to make it 1-0. 

Four minutes later, they doubled their advantage. Sean Carlin played a wonderful ball over the top that Jack Malone latched onto, and he lifted it over the advancing Ridd. 

Cliftonville had two half chances before the break, but Alex Parsons miscued from Micheál Glynn's cut back and he then curled a shot off the outside of the post in injury time as Glenavon were firmly in control at the interval.

The hosts extended their lead a few minutes after the break after Jack Keaney clumsily brought down David Toure in the area and referee Christopher Morrison pointed to the spot. 

Ex-Cliftonville striker David McDaid seized responsibility and confidently netted down the middle. 

Destiny Ojo missed the chance to reduce the deficit with a bad miscue from six yards out. 

They did pull back a consolation goal with a stunning Stephen McGuinness strike from 25 yards in added time, but it did little to lift the mood on a poor afternoon for the Solitude outfit. 

GLENAVON: Ryan, Toure, O’Sullivan, Malone (Snoddy 82'), McDaid (Prendergast 80'), Quinn, Baird, McKeown, Murphy, O’Connor (Atherton 85'), Carlin. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Ridd, Kearney, Keaney, Casey, McGuinness, Pepper (Gordon 59'), Hale, Lowe (Graham 59'), Glynn (Corrigan 46'), Parsons (Wilson 82'), Curran (Ojo 28'). 

REFEREE: Christopher Morrison