Glens' second-place hopes dented by loss to Swifts

Action from a hard -fought Irish Premiership game at Stangmore Park

Glentoran's hopes of securing the runner-up spot in the Irish Premiership which would guarantee European football suffered a blow when they lost 3-2 to Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park.

John McGovern and Leo Alves twice put the hosts in front, with Jordan Jenkins equalising on both occasions, but Tomas Galvin's stunning late strike secured the victory for the Irish Cup finalists.

The Glens trail second-placed Larne by two points ahead of the meeting of the two sides on the final day of the regular league season at Inver Park next weekend.

In the other top six encounter on Saturday, a Jay Boyd hat-trick saw Crusaders see off Coleraine 3-0 at Seaview.

In the bottom half, the battle for seventh place will continue until next week after goals from Eamon Fyfe and Josh Ukek gave Portadown a 2-0 home win over Cliftonville and reduce their deficit to the Reds to two points.

Glenavon beat Ballymena United 2-0 and Loughgall drew 2-2 with Carrick Rangers.

Swifts earn deserved win over Glens

Dungannon took the lead in the eighth minute when Gael Bigirimana's through ball caused the Glentoran defence problems with Kodi Lyons-Foster unable to clear the cross and stopper Daniel Gyollai coming off his line to try clear it.

However, he also was unable to do so, which left John McGovern with an empty net at his mercy.

Glentoran responded well and levelled the game five minutes later with Jenkins rising highest to nod Danny Amos' corner into the back of the net and past Declan Dunne, who did make contact with the header on its route towards goal.

Rodney McAree's side then turned up the tempo once again and had a flurry of chances to retake the lead with Andy Mitchell heading just off target, Adam Glenny's strike from 25-yards going narrowly wide and multiple Dungannon players coming close to converting Leo Alves' left footed corner.

The home side would get their well-deserved goal before the break though when Alves beat his marker to connect with Kealan Dillon's low cross and fired in between the legs of Gyollai on 38 minutes.

The Glens found an equaliser once again after the restart on the counter-attack when Marcus Kane battled through midfield before slipping the ball forward for Jenkins to convert from a tight angle.

Both sides had more chances with Dungannon netting the winner with just five minutes to go through substitute Galvin, who controlled the ball just outside the box before sending a low left-footed strike into the bottom corner.

Boyd treble sees Crues past Coleraine

Crusaders got off to the best possible start as Boyd turned Charles Dunne and rifled across Rory Brown into the far corner after just 27 seconds.

Coleraine responded well and dominated the rest of the first half. Matthew Shevlin, in particular had the best of the chances with a diving header off the bar and a close-range effort heroically blocked by Jarlath O'Rourke.

Rhyss Campbell also dragged wide as the Bannsiders kept the pressure on but could not find an equaliser.

After the break, Crusaders began to get a footing on proceedings and they were helped out by former player Jamie Glackin on 56 minutes as he inadvertently played in Boyd for another clinical finish to make it two.

Coleraine never looked like getting back into things after that and Boyd got his treble thanks to a coolly taken penalty with five minutes remaining after Josh O'Connor was felled by Kyle McClelland in the box.

That is Crusaders' fifth win out of five against Coleraine this season and sees them leapfrog them into fifth while Coleraine sit sixth.

Ports win to stay in hunt for seventh

Fyfe struck early at Shamrock Park to give Niall Currie's side the lead, drifting into space on the edge of the box before drilling a low shot past Lewis Ridd, having fired straight at the stopper.

Nine minutes into the second half, Ukek delivered the standout moment of the match to double the Ports' advantage.

Set up by Rabby Minzamba, the winger let fly from distance with a powerful, dipping strike that flew into the far corner - an unstoppable effort that gave the home side complete control.

The Ports had been on top from the start and could have put the game beyond doubt before the break. Paul McElroy spun neatly in the area but was denied by a crucial block, while Steven McCullough volleyed over after a loose clearance from Ridd.

The Reds, coming into the match on a five-game winning streak, never found their usual spark. Jim Magilton's charges struggled to create clear chances, with Eric McWoods' weak effort the only real test for Aaron McCarey in the first half.

Rory Hale came closest for the visitors, smashing the crossbar with a fierce shot from range, but the north Belfast outfit never looked likely to close the gap.

Glenavon too strong for United

At Mourneview Park, Glenavon came close on 21 minutes when David McDaid cut inside from the left and his curling effort cleared the Ballymena crossbar by inches and landed on top of the net.

Glenavon left-back Len O'Sullivan had the first effort on target with a shot which was beaten away by United keeper Sean O'Neill.

O'Neill was called into action again before the break but he was well placed to easily save Harry Murphy's near post glancing header from Peter Campbell's corner.

The deadlock was eventually broken on the hour mark when Campbell's free-kick from just outside the area went through the Ballymena defensive wall and through the legs of O'Neill on its way in.

The closest Ballymena came to an equaliser was in the closing minutes when Danny Lafferty's cross was helped back across the face of goal by Ethan Devine to Kian Corbally whose shot was somehow instinctively kept out by Glenavon keeper Tadhg Ryan.

Glenavon wrapped up the points deep in stoppage time when they counter-attacked quickly and Campbell released substitute Luke McGerrigan who raced clear to slot past O'Neill.

Loughgall draw with Carrick

Benji Magee's 92nd-minute solo effort earned a point for Championship-bound Loughgall as they drew 2-2 with Carrick Rangers at Lakeview Park.

Kirk McLaughlin headed the hosts in front early in the first half before Albert Watson levelled with a header of his own 10 minutes later. Luke McCullough then headed Carrick in front in the second half before Magee levelled right at the death.

The hosts broke the deadlock after a quarter-of-an-hour, with McLaughlin heading home Ryan Waide's cross from the left from close range.

Just 10 minutes later and the visitors levelled. Watson found himself in the box following a Carrick corner as he headed home Joe Crowe's recycled cross for what was his second goal of the season.

The visitors then went in front just seven minutes after the restart, this time through the head of McCullough. He met Luke O'Brien's deep cross to score what was the third headed goal of the afternoon.

Just as it looked like Carrick were heading home with all three points, a brilliant solo effort from Magee snatched a point for the hosts.