91Èȱ¬

Glenavon continued Ballymena United's miserable start to the season as Eoin Bradley's hat-trick helped the Lurgan Blues earn a thumping Showgrounds win.

Rhys Marshall poked Glenavon ahead on two minutes with David Elebert, Kevin Braniff and Bradley adding further first-half goals for the visitors.

Ballymena sub Matthew Shevlin replied on 52 but Andy Hall ran in a superb fifth Glenavon goal on 66.

Bradley ensured his hat-trick with further goals on 70 and 79.

After Saturday's opening 4-0 defeat by Linfield at Windsor Park, this awful performance will increase pressure on Ballymena manager Glenn Ferguson.

His team's defending was appalling in Wednesday's game as Glenavon comfortably picked up their first points of the season following their opening-day home defeat by Cliftonville.

Marshall netted Glenavon's opener from close range in the second minute after the Ballymena defence had failed to clear a Bradley corner.

Glenavon doubled their advantage on 10 minutes as the unmarked Elebert headed a corner past Alan Blayney.

Defensive sloppiness by Paddy McNally was punished by Braniff's emphatic finish on 20 and Bradley kneed in Glenavon's fourth nine minute later after a driven cross from Braniff.

Ballymena substitute Shevlin pulled a goal back on 52 minutes but any slim home hopes of a comeback evaporated when Hall ran unchallenged from his own half to slot Glenavon's fifth goal on 66.

Bradley punished an Allan Jenkins mistake by hammering in Glenavon's sixth goal on 70 and the Derry GAA player completed his hat-trick with a 79th-minute header.