Glens continue 100% start to go two clear at top

Glentoran goalscorer Jordan Stewart is congratulated by team-mates

Glentoran continued their 100% start to the season by claiming a 2-0 win over Glenavon at the Oval to move two points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership table.

Goals from Jordan Stewart and Jordan Jenkins in either half made it three wins in a row for Declan Devine's side.

Coleraine sit second, two points adrift of the Glens, as they maintained their unbeaten record this term with a 2-0 home win over Dungannon Swifts.

Ballymena United secured their second consecutive victory to start the campaign by defeating Portadown 2-0 at Shamrock Park.

Cliftonville drew 1-1 with Larne at Solitude, Tiarnan O'Connor opening the scoring and Joe Gormley equalising, before both sides had one player sent-off.

Crusaders beat nine-man Bangor 3-1 at Clandeboye, thanks to a Bryden Fraser hat-trick and two penalty saves by visiting goalkeeper Musa Dibaga.

Glens winning streak goes on

At the Oval, the game was just four minutes old Ryan Cooney, who scored the winner against Bangor at the weekend, burst into the Glenavon box and unleashed an effort but it was straight into the arms of Jacob Carney in goal.

Twelve minutes later, Glenavon had their best chance of the half. Paul McGovern centred to Stephen Mallon in space, but instead of shooting he slid the ball to Jack Malone, whose shot was blocked.

The breakthrough arrived for Glentoran just after the half-hour mark. After a solid challenge from Josh Kelly in midfield to win back possession, Stewart spread the ball left for Ciaran Coll, who passed along the left flank to Liam Burt, who returned the ball to the diminutive Stewart and he got a shot away.

Carney saved superbly but Stewart was in the right place to head the rebound into the net.

On 62 minutes Glentoran should have doubled their advantage when Danny Amos delivered a low fizzing cross from the left, but Jordan Jenkins' flicked effort at the near post went just the wrong side of the upright.

Ten minutes later goalkeeper Carney made three tremendous stops to keep Glenavon in the tie. Jenkins, Charlie Lindsay and Stewart all shot within the box, but Carney was equal to all to keep the score at 1-0.

The game was finally put to bed on 86 minutes when Lindsay played a succulent through ball, right onto the toe of Jenkins who strode into the area before tucking the ball beyond Carney in goal.

Coleraine stay unbeaten as Swifts' woes continue

Bottom-of-the-table Dungannon Swifts started brightly and Tomas Galvin fired a low shot narrowly past Aidan Harris' goal after a quarter of an hour.

Coleraine responded positively and opened the scoring 10 minutes later through Declan McManus with his first goal of the season.

Joel Cooper flighted a cross towards the back post where the Scottish striker headed the ball back across goal and keeper Alex Henderson into the bottom corner of the net.

Jamie Glackin doubled the home side's advantage just after the hour with an acrobatic overhead kick from six yards after the visitors had failed to clear a Cooper corner.

Will Patching passed up a number of good chances immediately after the restart before Aidan Harris proved his worth at the other end, rushing out of his goal to deny Tomas Galvin.

And the Coleraine keeper was again called into action to deny second half sub Brandon Bermingham from distance as Rodney McAree's side produced a better second half display.

But Coleraine held on for the win and a third successive clean sheet, leaving Swifts rooted to the foot of the table without a point.

Cliftonville and Larne share points

O'Connor broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time, capping a sweeping Larne move. Sean Graham slipped the ball into James Simpson, whose deft flick sent O'Connor darting inside from the left before arrowing a brilliant finish into the far top corner.

Cliftonville hit back early in the second half through Gormley. A tackle from Matt Ridley on Rory Hale saw the loose ball drop kindly, and the veteran striker reacted instantly, firing in from 20 yards. His effort took a deflection and skidded beyond Rohan Ferguson into the bottom corner.

The Reds had already threatened when Gormley combined neatly with Michael Glynn before sliding in Conor Falls, whose low drive was superbly smothered by Ferguson.

Moments later at the other end, Shaun Leppard's under hit backpass nearly gifted O'Connor the opener, but Peter Morrison stood tall to deny him.

The Inver Reds could have doubled their lead just after the restart when Graham powered past Adebayo Fapetu and bore down on goal, only for Morrison to spread himself bravely and block with his feet.

The match's decisive flashpoint arrived late on. Glynn was dismissed for hauling down Benji Magee as the substitute bore down on goal. Magee took responsibility from the spot, but his penalty was tame, Morrison guessing correctly to his left and saving comfortably.

In stoppage time, it would finish 10 v 10 as Dan Bent received his marching orders for a second yellow for a foul on Conor Barr.

Ballymena make it two wins from two

In a quiet opening half at Shamrock Park, Ballymena almost capitalised on a mistake by Josh Ukek, who gave the ball away inside his own half. David Toure picked up the loose ball and powered into the penalty area but his effort was kept out by Aaron McCarey at the near post.

Portadown believed they had taken the lead on 25 minutes when Ukek converted a James Teelan cross at the back post but after consulting with his assistant, referee Jamie Robinson upheld Ballymena's protests that there had been a handball in the build-up and the effort was chalked off.

Steven McCullough had a free kick saved by O'Neill when the home side believed they should have had a penalty and then Ahu Obhakhan headed over as Portadown began to apply pressure.

Ballymena had a chance early in the second period when Calvin McCurry's low angled drive was deflected behind by McCarey.

The visitors broke the deadlock on 67 minutes when Ballymena recycled the ball after a failed attack and Kennedy nipped in front of defender Divin Isamala to nod the ball over McCarey.

United secured the points in the final minute with a brilliant individual goal from Jack O'Reilly. The substitute initially looked to be taking the ball into the corner to kill some time but then burst across the bye-line and fired a shot from an acute angle past McCarey with the outside of his right foot.

Crues see off Bangor in eventful game

The home side took the lead just three minutes into the game at Clandeboye after the alert Ben Cushnie fired in the rebound of Reece Neale's free-kick, which had been palmed away by Dibaga.

Crusaders found a quick leveller when Bryden latched onto Lloyd Anderson's through ball and drilled home from a tight angle on nine minutes.

The frantic start to the game continued with Bangor awarded a penalty just four minutes later after Ben Arthurs was brought down by Dibaga, but the Crusaders stopper dived to his right to deny Arthurs' spot-kick.

Declan Caddell's side took the lead in the 28th minute with Bryden netting his second of the evening when he beat his marker and travelled to the edge of the box before sending a low shot past Gareth Deane.

Just before the break, Cushnie's back-healed effort from a long Neale throw-in crashed off the crossbar and denied Bangor a late first half leveller.

In the 53rd minute, the Seasiders were awarded their second spot-kick of the evening after Arthurs was fouled in the box by Kurtis Forsythe. However, the busy Crusaders keeper went the correct way again and denied Cushnie, and Bangor, their second of the evening.

Things went from bad to worse for Bangor when they had two players sent off in the space of a minute after having two coaching staff sent off earlier in the half. The first, when Stephen McGuinness was given his marching orders for a foul in midfield before substitute Matthew Ferguson was dismissed for an off-the-ball incident.

In the final five minutes Lee Feeney's side thought they had grabbed a late equaliser, but the effort was disallowed for an infringement in the build-up.

The goals weren't done there though with Bryden completing his hat-trick and sealing the three points for Crusaders in additional time when he caught the Bangor defence sleeping and rifled a low drive into the back of the net.