Glenavon beat Institute at Mourneview Park

Glenavon’s excellent run of form in 2015 continued with a fourth win on the bounce as Institute lost out at Mourneview Park.

Stute debutante Saul Deeney almost had a start to forget when Kevin Braniff chipped a ball forward for Eoin Bradley, who managed to get around the goalkeeper but his hooked shot was cleared off the line by a defender.

Braniff and Bradley were linking well for the hosts. They created a chance on 17 minutes for Ciaran Martyn when he was on the edge of the box. One on one with the goalkeeper, normally he would put those sorts of chances away but this time he pulled it wide.

The first shot on target fell to the visitors as Stephen Curry but his deflected shot from distance was eventually gathered up by James McGrath.

Glenavon got in front on 33 minutes when Bradley cleverly evaded a Braniff cross, allowing Ciaran Caldwell to stoop in and head home.

But after that Stute took the game to Glenavon in search of an equaliser, spearheaded by an attack led by Darren McFadden and Robbie Hume. They got their rewards with virtually the last kick of the half, McFadden pulling the ball back for Hume to fire low under the Glenavon goalkeeper who will be disappointed not to have saved the shot.

And Gary Hamilton’s men almost showed their defensive frailties again when McFadden found Duwayne McManus in the box. McGrath saved the shot with his foot, but Stute came back again, a bank of blue shirted defenders eventually clearing the ball.

Then Winkie Murphy floated a free kick from his own half towards the Stute box. Kris Lindsay was there to head it on for Martyn, who slid in to poke it home for 2-1.

Hume could have levelled things up again with a curled shot which came back off the bar, while at the other end Lindsay headed a Kyle Neill free kick straight at Deeney, while Braniff pulled a shot wide after being found by a fantastic pass by Bradley.

With 11 minutes to go parity should have been restored when a Stephen Curry cross found Hume three yards out. Somehow his volley sailed over.

Deeney prevented a third Glenavon by pushing away a Caldwell effort, and the keeper denied the midfielder once more in stoppage time when substitute Declan O’Brien charged into the box before finding the midfielder.

GLENAVON: McGrath, Neill, Murphy, Lindsay, Bradley, Caldwell, Marshall, Braniff, McCabe, Martyn, Singleton. Subs: McKeown, Kelly, Patton (Neill 72), McGrory (Martyn 65), O’Brien (Bradley 88).

GOALS: Caldwell 33, Martyn 55

BOOKINGS: Martyn 53, Caldwell 80

INSTITUTE: Deeney, D Curry, Bradley, McLoughlin, O’Donnell, Walsh, Forker, McManus, McFadden, S Curry, Hume. Subs: Gallagher, McCrudden (Forker 72),Young, Burke, McKeever.

GOALS: Hume 45

BOOKINGS: Walsh 12, McLoughlin 54, Bradley 63

REFEREE: Ross Dunlop (Carrickfergus)