Coleraine and Glenavon brave the weather to serve up a thriller

Coleraine and Glenavon served up an enthralling encounter at The Showgrounds despite the windswept conditions.
Ben Doherty holds off Sammy Clingan.Ben Doherty holds off Sammy Clingan.
Ben Doherty holds off Sammy Clingan.

In the end they had to make do with a share of the spoils as both sides found the net in either half.

Eoin Bradley tapped home against his former club in the first half, before Nial Grace levelled things up at the start of the second with a curling effort.

The Bannsiders started well with another former Glenavon man, Ben Doherty, driving them on from midfield.

Rodney McAree's men should have edged in front on 12 minutes after a swift counter attack from a Glenavon corner saw Jamie Glackin release Jamie McGonigle, who in turn crossed for Bradley, but his shot flew wildly past the target.

McGonigle tried his luck from out on the right before Bradley broke the deadlock on 20 minutes.

Stephen Lowry, on his 200th appearance for Coleraine, miscued a shot on the edge of the box, but Glackin picked up the loose ball, flicked it past the defender, but his shot was parried by Johnny Tuffey and Bradley reacted the quickest to fire into the empty net.

Gareth McConaghie got back in and deny Jordan Jenkins a certain goal on the half hour after Steven Murray had flicked on for him.

Coleraine should have made it 2-0 four minutes before half time as Adam Mullan burst into the box, he had Glackin in space in front of goal, but chose to shoot and the defender blocked his shot.

With the wind at the backs Glenavon started the second half strongly.

Grace set up Murray, whose shot was beat away by Johns.

But sixty seconds later the Bannsiders failed to clear their lines and Grace picked his spot after being found on the edge of the box.

Tuffey then denied McGonigle with a great tip over on 54 minutes.

But at the other end Johns produced an amazing double save to deny Jenkins a certain goal on 62 minutes.

Josh Daniels squared the ball across the face of goal for what looked like a tap in, but Johns but the initial effort then reacted quickest to scoop away the loose ball.

Coleraine got their second wind in the closing stages with Doherty curling one wide of the far post before Aaron Canning twice went close from late corners.