Irish Premiership: Glenavon 1-3 Cliftonville

Runaway Premiership leaders Cliftonville went 17 points clear by beating Glenavon for the third time in the league this season.

Ciaran Caldwell put the Reds into the lead shortly before half-time with a brilliant back heel from Ryan Catney's ball in from the right.

Caldwell netted again early in the second half and Liam Boyce made it 3-0 in the 70th minute.

Glenavon striker Mark Farren pulled one back with a header.

It means Cliftonville, who have now won on their last eight visits to Mourneview Park, are on the verge of a first league championship for 15 years.

Although second-placed Crusaders could cut the gap back to 14 points by beating Linfield at Seaview on Monday night, the deficit looks insurmountable as Cliftonville have just seven matches left.

Their victory at Mourneview Park was routine enough in the end, but it came after a bright start by Glenavon during which Ciaran Martyn missed a couple of chances.

Home keeper David O'Hare did extremely well to touch a Caldwell effort just over the bar and on to the roof of the net.

But there was nothing the former Coleraine keeper could do to stop Caldwell's sublime 41st-minute opener as he skilfully flicked in first time.

Caldwell's second was a simple tap-in after Joe Gormley's miscue in from a goal and then Caldwell's pass set up Boyce who forced his way through to shoot in his 28th goal of a magnificent season.

Farren scored on 77 minutes after Cliftonville failed to clear their lines but it could not prevent a third successive league defeat for Glenavon.