Hi °C | Lo °C Glenavon's misery continued at Mourneview Park last night as Cliftonville grabbed a sensational last-gasp winner.
The game had drifted into the first minute of time added on by referee Dessie Loughery when the Reds pounced.
Ciaran Caldwell was the hero, ignoring Glenavon’s desperate appeals for offside, to flick the ball over a despairing Andy Plummer.
Defeat means the Lurgan Blues have now collected just a single point from a possible 18 as Eddie Patterson’s battlers got themselves back on track with their second win in four days.
The first-half was something of a non-event but the second was nip and tuck as suddenly both sides discovered some energy.
But it took a blunder by home keeper Plummer to gift the Reds the vital breakthrough.
Plummer unnecessarily challenged Chris Scannell as he headed for the by-line and to his horror referee Loughrey pointed to the spot.
Ice-cool George McMullan sent the keeper the wrong way to give Cliftonville the boost they needed.
Glenavon stormed back and Tony Grant levelled with a looping header from Kyle Neill’s 77th minute free-kick.
In a frantic finish both sides had chances but couldn’t take them until Caldwell eventually struck.
Scannell, booked for diving in the first half could hardly believe his eyes when Plummer used his legs to deny him and at the other end James Costello created and then wasted a glorious chance.
Scannell was again denied by Plummer and Liam Fleming saw his effort deflected for a corner by Neill.
Glenavon: Plummer; Shannon, Magee, McDonagh, Neill; Costello, Walsh, Harper, Molloy; Grant, Miskimmin (Lavery 83 mins): Subs not used: Harper, Haughey, King, Stewart
Cliftonville: Connolly; Fleming, Hutton, Donaghy, R Scannell; Caldwell, O’Connor (Johnston 94), McMullan, Lynch (Donnelly 73); C Scannell, Garrett. Subs not used: Smyth, Jones, McVeigh
Referee: Des Loughrey (Limavady).
