Anger greeted the final whistle at Mourneview Park, not with the scoreless draw but at referee Hugh Carvill’s decision to send off home favourite Trevor Molloy.

Both camps expressed surprise at the decision which came 12 minutes from the end of an exciting and fiercely fought battle between two sides desperately trying to protect unbeaten runs.

Glenavon went into action unbeaten in four and the Bannsiders not having lost in their last nine.

Furious home boss Stephen McBride rapped: “The sending off ruined a good game of football.”

And Coleraine assistant boss Geoff Ferris said: “I was surprised by the decision.”

Coleraine will perhaps feel more disappointed because, while they survived a number of scares, they did produce the two best scoring opportunities.

Sadly both golden chances fell to big Kyle McVey, a better defender than attacker.

Brilliant home keeper Tuda Murphy robbed him of the first with a timely block in a one-to-one situation and the crossbar denied him second time round. The misses cost the visitors the chance of going joint top of the table.

Glenavon will also curse their luck as well because not only had Molloy mysteriously sent off 12 minutes from time they saw skipper Hugh Dickson flash a late header off Davy OHare’s bar.

So in the end it really could have gone either way.

Coleraine boss Davy Platt had to make a hasty getaway but his assistant Ferris said: “We’re disappointed we didn’t get the three points.

“We had the better chances. I don’t know how McVey missed from so close. We thought it was just a matter of him touching it in. The goal was gaping at him. Earlier he also had a one-on-one on the keeper.

“In fact I thought their keeper was outstanding pulling off some excellent saves.”

Glenavon boss Stephen McBride said: “Over 90 minutes it was a fair result. Both sides would have been disappointed to lose.

“I’m happy considering we were down to 10 men for the final 12 minutes. The sending off took everyone by surprise.

“I didn’t even think it was worth a yellow card but as it turned out the refer ee couldn’t get over quickly enough to produce a red.

“Even the Coleraine players couldn’t believe it. Now we are without Molloy for two vital games.

“Afterwards all the talk in the dressing room was about something other than the game and that cannot be right.

“But I have to be careful what I say.”

With the wind in their backs the Bannsiders adopted a shoot on sight policy with Stephen Carson threatening most.

The lively winger had a go at every opportunity but his efforts were either blocked by a retreating defence or dealt with by keeper Tuda Murphy.

Murphy made one outstanding save to deny Matt Crossan and Stephen Dooley held his head in his hands when he hopelessly skied a shot over the bar when well placed.

Carson too was too high with the final shot after cleverly working an opening for himself.

But Glenavon were not out of it and had two shouts for a penalty ignored by referee Hugh Carvill.

Tony Grant was the central figure in both incidents, the first when he attempted to latch on to a forward ball from Niall Hudson.

Grant reached the ball first and played the ball against keeper Davy O’Hare whose momentum carried him into the striker and floored him.

It was O’Hare again involved when he left his line and appeared to push Grant in a bid to gain possession.

But once more the referee ignored Grant’s frantic claims.

Then Howard Beverland rescued Coleraine after O’Hare could only beat out a thunderbolt from Conor Walsh, the full-back clearing just as Trevor Molloy threatened to get to the rebound.

Each side had efforts come back off the bar, first Paddy McLaughlin’s back post header and then Gary Liggett’s cross cum shot.

Coleraine should really have taken the lead 10 minutes after the break but Davy Patton couldn’t make the most of a one-on-one with Tuda Murphy, the big keeper doing well to spread himself to block the shot.

Murphy kept Glenavon in the game with another outstanding save, touching sub Jody To lan’s close range header on to the woodwork.

Then the home side suffered a major blow in 78 minutes when Molloy was handed a straight red in mysterious circumstances.

The Dubliner attempted to play a dropping ball down the touchline but in doing so made contact with Beverland.

Amazingly the referee, not for the first time in the game, saw something others didn’t.

In a bid to hold on to what they had Glenavon manager Stephen McBride hauled off sub Davy Larmour and tossed in midfielder Willo McDonagh.

Coleraine were left to curse their luck in the 79th minute when a brilliant curler from Carson struck the inside of Murphy’s left hand post and rebounded straight into the path of McVey.

But astonishingly from only a few yards out the big marauding McVey somehow contrived to lash the ball against the bar.

And the 10 men Glenavon went close to grabbing all three points when skipper Dickson flashed a header against the crossbar from Paul Carvill’s right wing corner.

Then at the other end with time running out Dickson stuck out a foot to deflect a blast from Tommy McCallion for a corner.