Deadly Dawson downs Glenavon

Glenavon 0 Leeds United 5
David Healy makes his appearance for Glenavon against Leeds.David Healy makes his appearance for Glenavon against Leeds.
David Healy makes his appearance for Glenavon against Leeds.

A Chris Dawson hat-trick helped Leeds United ease to victory over Glenavon at Mourneview Park on Wednesday night.

The result, however was never an issue for the Lurgan Blues as this 125th anniversary game saw a packed house for the glamour game.

The biggest cheer of the night came when Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer David Healy came on and the former Leeds striker went close to hitting the back of the net.

The game, a sell-out, was enjoyed by both sets of fans and for Leeds their only game on Irish soil was to prove a beneficial trip.

The visitors made a bright start with Chris Dawson having a shot brilliantly turned over the bar by James McGrath and Matt Smith was next on target with a firm header but again McGrath was behind it.

Glenavon broke well to carve out their own chances with Guy Bates getting clear and pulling the ball back for David Rainey was Killock did well to clear.

It was no surprise Dawson would be the man to open the scoring, the striker drilled a shot hard and low into the far corner after an attempted clearance by Kilmartin fell into his path.

Glenavon hit back with Mulvenna slipping the ball through to David Rainey but his angled shot flew inches wide.

Northern Ireland legend David Healy came off the bench on 23 minutes to a rousing reception from both sets of fans and within minutes he almost grabbed a goal with a free kick that beat the wall but stuck in the keeper’s hands.

With just two minutes gone in the second half Dawson added number two but Healy almost pulled a goal back with a snapshot from the edge of the box which was blocked.

Just after the hour mark Dawson was given the chance to grab his hat-trick after Marshall brought down Smith and he made no mistake blasting the spot kick into the roof of the net.

Leeds went on to add two more through Eoghan Stokes and Matt Stokes, but forget the final score, this was still a great night for Glenavon.