Glenavon, although disappointed at letting their commanding lead slip away, can still draw comfort from the crucial two away goals they have in their possession ahead of the return leg in ten days.

The Lurgan Blues needed just ten minutes to open the scoring when Adrian Harper touched the ball on for Gary Liggett to send a low right-foot shot past Elliott Morris from just inside the area.

And they doubled their lead on the half-hour mark through a 40-yard Stuart King free-kick which an unsighted Morris allowed to roll over the line.

However, Glentoran reduced the deficit 11 minutes after the break after Glenavon 'keeper Tuda Murphy failed to prevent a Kyle Neill free-kick from passing under his body after initially appearing to block the ball.

They might have levelled on 72 minutes through Daryl Fordyce who fired against the outside of the post but Fordyce wasn't to be denied with just seven minutes remaining when he kept his cool to connect with a Gary Hamilton corner to slot home the equaliser.