Glentoran returned to the top of the Danske Bank Premiership following their 0-0 draw at Coleraine, but their main concern was an injury picked up by Conor McMenamin at The Showgrounds.
The midfielder was forced to leave the pitch on a stretcher near the end of the first half after being on the receiving end of a tackle by Dean Jarvis.
The influential forward was taken to hospital for treatment with the Glens hoping their star man had avoided a serious injury.
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It was a game which threatened to boil over at times with Jarvis one of eight players booked by referee Steven Gregg on the night before Patrick McClean was dismissed late on.
Both sides had slipped to 2-1 defeats during the week.
Whilst it was a sixth loss of the campaign for the Bannsiders, it was a first in all competitions for the Glens.
The big question was how would Mick McDermott's react to that defeat at Glenavon?
It was the visitors who carved out the first opening with seven minutes on the clock.
Bobby Burns' ball into the back was chested down by Ruaidhri Donnelly for Danny Purkis, but he shot straight at Gareth Deane.
The keeper was called into action again three minutes later. This time McMenamin weaved past Jarvis before stinging Deane's hands with an effort.
The ball was cleared for a throw and McMenamin was picked out again, this time his shot was smothered by the Coleraine stopper.
Coleraine responded with two chances of their own. Matthew Shevlin crashed a header off the post from a Josh Carson cross before Aaron Jarvis forced Aaron McCarey into a save at the near post.
Temperatures started to rise as both Burns and Dean Jarvis picked up yellow cards for robust challenges on Aaron Jarvis and McMenamin respectively.
The Glentoran man came off the worst and was forced off on a stretcher after a lengthy period of treatment on the pitch.
There was an edge to proceedings at the start of the second half in the aftermath of McMenamin's injury.
Burns took exception to a Lyndon Kane challenge as tensions continued to bubble over.
The Coleraine midfielder however went close to putting his side in front on the hour mark after great work by Carson.
He surged into the box before pulling the ball back for the onrushing Kane on the edge of the box, but his shot flew wide of the upright.
Yellow cards were more forthcoming than goals though as both Shevlin and Conor McDermott found themselves in the referee's notebook after clashes with Patrick McClean and Burns.
McClean was booked in the incident with Shevlin and picked up a second yellow deep in stoppage time for a tackle on McDermott.
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