Glenavon0–1Ballymena United

Ben Kennedy's second half penalty was the difference as Ballymena United recorded an eighth straight league win with a 1-0 victory over Glenavon at Mourneview Park on Saturday afternoon.

Jim Ervin was again able to name an unchanged starting XI for the third straight game ahead of the trip to Lurgan, but on the bench Johnny McMurray was a welcome return after a short injury lay off.

On a blustery day at Mourneview, both teams struggled to adapt to the strong wind that United were playing into and it led to a scrappy first half. The opening period was largely controlled by Glenavon, but they failed to create anything to worry Sean O'Neill until the twenty-first minute. At that point, Davy McDaid took a ball out of the sky well but saw his shot vitally blocked by Daithi McCallion and on the rebound Jamie Doran struck wide at close range. A couple of minutes later a nervy moment almost saw the visitors fall behind when Matthew Snoddy's cross bounced awkwardly in front of O'Neill who spilled it into the six yard box, but thankfully Aaron Jarvis was first on the scene to clear.

It took the Sky Blues until the twenty-seventh minute to work Gareth Deane in the Glenavon goal and the chance fell to Joe Moore who took on a through ball and knocked it past Barney McKeown, only to fire straight at Deane.

Shortly after that chance, United were dealt an injury blow when Daniel Lafferty hobbled off in discomfort after getting forward and he was replaced by Sean Brown who seamlessly slotted in at left back.

In the final five minutes of the opening half, both sides started to show a little bit more quality on the ball and after some super tackling from Josh Carson started off a lovely move for the away side, Moore ended it by curling a tame effort at Deane, before another tidy move could've yielded a goal. Andy Scott had showed some fantastic feet a few times in the half and when he did again to surge past a gathering of home shirts United were three on one on the edge of the box, but after Scott put it across for Jarvis, he got his finish all wrong and it was blocked by McKeown.

In the final plays of the half Niall Quinn had a go from well out as he looked to use the wind to his advantage and he pulled a strong save out of O'Neill, as a half lacking in many moments of quality, down largely to the wind, ended scoreless.

With the wind dropping a bit during the break, the second half had more to like about it, particularly from Ballymena who were putting together some decent stuff. Early on Carson, brilliant as ever, saw plenty of space open up in front of him to allow him a crack from a good thirty yards and his low strike forced Deane into a good save down to his left.

Following Carson's strike, a bright five minute spell from the Lurgan Blues gave the Braidmen something to think about. First, a move down the left ended with the ball being slipped into Len O'Sullivan who brought a stop from O'Neill, before a wayward clearance from Kym Nelson helped McDaid get in, but he fired narrowly over from an angle.

Two minutes after the hour mark, the away side had the chance to break the deadlock from the penalty spot. Ben Kennedy clipped a lovely ball into Jarvis and when he got it into the box he was barged in the back by O'Sullivan. Ben Kennedy took the ball and predictably the league's top scorer put the table toppers ahead as he smartly sent Deane the wrong way in his typically composed style.

In truth, after going ahead, Ballymena never really looked like being pegged back in what was a controlled final half hour. More tenacity from Carson gave him the chance to have a go from distance again after he won back Rocks' pass, but his bending shot went just wide. With Glenavon still unable to get through United to threaten, McMurray replaced Moore for Ballymena and shortly afterwards he was slid in by Jarvis who had won the ball back and charged forward, but McMurray's shot was poorly struck.

As time ticked away, the Braidmen were comfortably seeing out a more than professional win and eased through three minutes of added time, to incredibly make it eight straight league wins to remain top, ahead of welcoming Coleraine to The Showgrounds next Saturday.