Reds held by Crues as leaders Linfield thump Loughgall

Crusaders scorer Kieran Offord beats Cliftonville's Shaun Leppard to the high ball

Crusaders and Cliftonville drew 1-1 in the first north Belfast derby of the season while Linfield maintained their 100% record by hammering Loughgall 5-1.

Ryan Curran put the Reds in front at Seaview from a penalty but the hosts hit back quickly with Kieran Offord slotting into the bottom corner.

Sam Roscoe-Byrne bagged a double at Windsor Park as the Blues made it four wins from their opening four league matches.

Glenavon beat Coleraine 2-0 to chalk up their first points of the season but Ballymena United have still to get off the mark after losing 1-0 at Dungannon Swifts.

Honours even at Seaview

Cliftonville took the lead in the 32nd minute when Curran converted a penalty after Lewis Barr's clumsy challenge on Joe Gormley allowed the striker to send Jonny Tuffey the wrong way, marking his second goal of the campaign.

The Crues responded almost immediately - just two minutes later Kieran Offord continued his fine early season form by turning Jonny Addis after a defensive lapse and finishing with accuracy into the far corner, marking the frontman's third in as many matches.

Building on their momentum Crusaders applied relentless pressure. Jordan Stewart, a constant threat, dispossessed Addis in midfield and played a perfect pass to Offord. However, David Odumosu's heroics in goal, including a stunning double save, thwarted both Offord and Stewart's efforts in quick succession.

As the second half unfolded Declan Caddell's men continued their offensive push. Jacob Blaney's fierce strike tested Odumosu, while Offord's blistering pace on the counter-attack remained a persistent danger. Yet, Odumosu's saves kept the scores level.

In the dying moments Reds substitute Destiny Ojo nearly clinched victory with a curling effort from distance, only for Tuffey to produce a breathtaking save to keep both side's unbeaten run intact.

Blues brush aside Villagers

It was a really commanding performance from Linfield, who put Loughgall to the sword in the first half.

Chris McKee opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a handball infringement and Roscoe-Byrne his double two well taken headers.

Joel Cooper also got his name on the scoresheet in an emphatic first half display to go into the break four to the good.

Ethan McGee made it five before the hour mark with a nice back-post header and Loughgall’s Ryan Waide then scored a consolation goal for the visitors with a well-taken finish from an acute angle after rounding goalkeeper Chris Johns.

If this is to be Linfield manager David Healy’s final game - the Windsor boss has been linked with a move to Raith Rovers - then he’s signed off in some fashion.

First victory for Lurgan Blues

A goal at the start of each half saw Glenavon record a first league win of the season, winning at previously unbeaten Coleraine.

Davy McDaid fired the visitors, who were defeated in each of their opening three games, in front after just two minutes and Keith Ward made it 2-0 four minutes into the second period.

Former Coleraine frontman McDaid silenced the home crowd with his first goal for Glenavon.

The hosts’ defence failed to deal with a Niall Quinn shot and there was McDaid six yards out to redirect the ball past a helpless Rory Brown, with the goal awarded despite claims of offside from the hosts.

The hosts responded positively to the early setback but found another former Bannsider in inspired form. Gareth Deane produced two outstanding saves to prevent a certain goal.

First, he dived across to his right to palm away a Cameron Stewart header from a Jack Scott corner before producing an even better stop minutes later to keep out a goalbound Mackenzie Carse effort from close range.

Glenavon repeated the trick at the start of the second half as they doubled their lead within four minutes of the restart.

Captain Lyndon Kane gave away possession midway inside his own half and Keith Ward capitalised in spectacular style, striding forward to plant a low shot past a helpless Rory Brown.

Deane produced a third spectacular stop from Dylan Boyle minutes from time as the Lurgan Blues final got their season up and running.

Swifts edge Sky Blues

Dungannon came close in the opening 10 minutes when Tomas Galvin’s low cross from the left was brilliantly diverted over his own crossbar by Danny Lafferty with Leo Alves waiting to tap home.

The home side began to get on top and took a deserved 19th-minute lead when Kealan Dillon fizzed a free kick across the face of goal and it eluded everyone in the penalty area and nested in the corner of the net.

Ballymena might have levelled when Ben Kennedy and Danny Lafferty combined on the left but the latter’s cross had just too much power for the in-rushing Andy Scott to keep his header on target.

Dillon almost doubled his and Dungannon’s tally on the hour mark when he played a neat one-two but his curling shot was beaten away by keeper Sam Johnston.

Ballymena believed they had equalised with 11 minutes left when Lafferty’s free kick was headed down by Stephen O’Donnell.

Kennedy tucked away the loose ball but the referee’s assistant had his flag raised for offside while Josh Carson had an injury-time effort pushed away by Swifts keeper Patrick Solis Grogan.

It’s Dungannon’s first win of the campaign but Ballymena remain rooted to the foot of the table after a fourth straight defeat.