O'CONNOR STRIKES LATE FOR GLENAVON
Glenavon took a huge step towards securing a possible European play-off spot with victory over Carrick Rangers at the Loughview Leisure Arena.
The win moved Gary Hamilton's side four points ahead of only rivals Ballymena United with two games remaining.
A game of few chances, Carrick enjoyed the better of what opportunities were created in a scoreless first half with David Cushley firing over on ten minutes and Matthew Carson sending the ball straight at keeper Josh Clarke soon after while, around the half-hour mark, Alex Gawne saw a low drive held.
Glenavon came closest to breaking the deadlock early in the second half when Matthew Fitzpatrick saw a close range effort kept out by Aaron Hogg.
For Carrick Emmett McGuckin fired over with a quarter-of-an-hour to go, followed by another Clarke stop to deny Carson.
But the only goal of the game came with a couple of minutes remaining when Michael O'Connor whipped in a brilliant struck free-kick to secure the win for the visitors.
Carrick Rangers: Hogg, Surgenor, Ervin, Cushley, McMullan, McGuckin, D. Kelly, Gawne, Cherry, Glendinning, Carson subs Skeet (not used), Forsythe (replaced McMullan 45), Gordon (not used), E. Kelly (replaced Carson 86), Chambers (not used), Waite (not used), Tilney (replaced Cherry 53)
Glenavon: Clarke, Birney, Haughey, Campbell, Snoddy, McCloskey, Fitzpatrick, Wallace, Singleton, Garrett, Ward subs Waterworth (replaced Birney 78), O’Connor (replaced Snoddy 69), Scannell (not used), O’Mahony (replaced McCloskey 24), Doyle (replaced Garrett 69), Lynch (not used), Norton (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
