Although scoreless, both sides had opportunities of note in the first half.

Glentoran might have opened proceedings on 11 minutes after Michael Halliday teed up Keith Gillespie but the Northern Ireland international deliver his subsequent 20-yard drive just a little too high.

Gillespie was thwarted again a quarter-of-an-hour later when he got on the end of a Gary Hamilton corner only for 'keeper Andrew Plummer to do well to parry the ball to safety.

At the other end Willo McDonagh tested Elliott Morris from 14 yards while, moments from the break, Trevor Molloy created an opening for himself to send a low shot across goal which Morris desperately scrambled away.

The deadlock really should have been broken five minutes into the second half when the visitors were awarded a penalty after Mark Gracey was adjudged to handled a Gillespie cross but Kyle Neill's poorly taken spot-kick was comfortably saved by Plummer while his attempted follow-up crashed back off the woodwork.

But the Belfast Glens finally got off the mark three minutes later through Richard Clarke whose 16-yard drive proved too strong for the home 'keeper.

And ten minutes later Glenavon looked out of it when Johnny Taylor doubled Glentoran's lead with a header from a Neill free-kick.

However, with 13 minutes remaining, the Lurgan Blues began their recovery after McDonagh got his head to a Jay Magee cross.

Four minutes after that they were back on level terms thanks to Glens 'keeper Morris who inexpicably kicked the ball into his own net after he had beaten substitute James Costello to a Molloy free-kick.