NEW Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton took his side to Windsor Park but returned to Lurgan empty handed.

Both sides were restricted to half chance during the opening exchanges.

Michael Carvill tested Davy O'Hare with a snap shot which was cleared for a corner.

Then, just after the half-hour mark, a Niall Henderson free-kick wasn't cleared and allowed to run across the box only for Conor Hagan to blast over.

At the other end a similarly delivered Philip Lowry ball was sent high over the bar by Carvill from just six yards.

Carvill came close again early in the second half with another effort which produced a reaction save from O'Hare while, on 52 minutes, an Albert Watson came back off the inside of an upright.

But Linfield and Carvill did make the breakthrough on 67 minutes when he finished from inside the area after Mark McAllister beat Jay Magee before cutting the ball back.

With nine minutes remaining Glenavon substitute Diarmuid O'Carroll might have levelled only for his effort to be cleared off the line.

Linfield: Blayney, Gault, Murphy, Lowry, Carvill, B.J. Burns, Fordyce, Ervin, Mulgrew, Watson, McAllister subs Armstrong (not used), Curran (not used), A. Burns (replaced Fordyce 61), Garrett (replaced Mulgrew 73), Kane (not used)

Glenavon: O'Hare, Shannon, Jay Magee, Henderson, Miskimmin, Lavery, Grieve, Davidson, Jonny Magee, Hagan, Doherty subs Neill (replaced Grieve 10), O'Carroll (replaced Davidson 59), D. Magee (not used), Turkington (replaced Lavery 33), McGonnell (not used)

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• Michael Gault shields the ball from Ciaran Doherty (Picture: Russell Pritchard/PressEye.com)