Hi °C | Lo °C Maintaining their unbeaten away record was poor consolation for Coleraine after letting a late lead slip against Glenavon.
Despite bossing the majority of the second half, they now trail Cliftonville by two points at the top of the Danske Bank Premiership.
And that’s all the more bewildering after they eased in front with a Stephen Lowry spectacular only three minutes from the end of normal time at Mourneview Park.
In the third of the three added minutes the Bannsiders failed to deal with Kyle Neill’s in-swinging corner and in the melee which followed sub Andy McGrory |(pictured) pounced to equalise.
Kearney showed signs of being a little shell shocked and admitted: “It feels more like a 4-0 defeat.
“Fair play to Glenavon. They piled everyone forward, goalkeeper and all.
“They made it hard for us to win the second ball and finally forced it in.
“A pity really because Lowry’s effort would have been a fitting goal to win the game.”
Rival boss Hamilton was realistic too in his appraisal, conceding: “This was a case of us getting something we hadn’t been getting in the last few weeks when we felt we deserved to get more out of games.
“It’s the first time we got something that probably we didn’t totally deserve.”
Michael Hegarty had a goal ruled out for offside and, on another day, Curtis Allen might have had a hat-trick.
Goal scorer Lowry, too, was denied by home keeper Coleman when he might have scored.
Glenavon, meanwhile, had genuine claims for a penalty turned down when Hamilton’s jersey was clearly tugged in the box.
The Lurgan boss insisted: “I thought it was a blatant penalty. I was past him and was pulled back. My shirt was pulled right out of my pants.”
Hamilton added: “Lowry’s was a great finish but he shouldn’t have been allowed to get past players like he did and score.
“We showed great character at the end. We didn’t sit back and accept we had been beaten.
“We showed determination and got the reward.
“I feel if Coleraine can hang in until Christmas they have a big chance of winning the league.
“Oran Kearney is doing a great job in how he has got them going. I’ve a lot of respect for him in the same way I have for Tommy Breslin at Cliftonville because they are succeeding with small budgets.”
