Irish Premiership: Glenavon 2-4 Portadown

Portadown moved to the top of the Irish Premiership on goal difference after beating former leaders Glenavon in a high-scoring mid-Ulster derby.

Gareth McKeown fired home a fantastic low strike on 18 minutes but Sean Mackle levelled on the half hour.

Chris Casement made it 2-1 with a well-struck free-kick on 34 and Darren Murray added a penalty on 58 minutes.

Ciaran Martyn pulled one back with 13 minutes remaining but Peter McMahon's late right-foot volley made it 4-2.

Eoin Bradley was a notable absentee from the home team-sheet prior to the game.

No definitive explanation was given for his omission but his GAA club Glenullin play Dungiven in a Derry Senior Football Championship quarter-final on Sunday.

In a frantic start to the game, McKeown headed off the line and then Murray had a header go off-target for the Ports.

Towering defender McKeown broke the deadlock with a fine strike, then Keith O'Hara's glancing header was cleared off the line by Shane McCabe.

Mackle tapped in at the far post from a Mark McAllister cross, before Casement put the visitors in front from his 28-yard free-kick.

Casement grazed the bar with another free-kick effort before the break.

After the interval, Alan Blayney made a good save to deny Mackle, but Murray made no mistake from the spot after a penalty was awarded for a handball inside the area.

The ball hit Martyn on the nose and rolled into the net to give the Lurgan Blues some hope, but McMahon's 80th-minute strike restored his side's two-goal advantage.

Gary Hamilton's outfit are second in the table despite their second consecutive defeat to their derby rivals.