Ballymena beat Reds as last-gasp Linfield edge Carrick

Ben Kennedy celebrates with scorer Ethan Devine after scoring Ballymena's third goal

Ballymena United continued their fine form with a 3-2 victory over Cliftonville at the Showgrounds.

Ben Kennedy, Kym Nelson and Ethan Devine were on target for the Sky Blues, who moved into second spot.

Linfield go two points clear at the top after Kirk Millar's injury-time goal clinched a 1-0 win over bottom side Carrick Rangers.

Portadown defeated Crusaders 3-0 at Seaview, Glenavon earned a 1-1 draw with 10-man Dungannon Swifts and Coleraine beat Loughgall 2-0.

Sky Blues overcome Reds

Ballymena took the lead from the penalty spot on 14 minutes - Johnny McMurray nicked fractionally in front of Michael Newberry, who brought the striker down and referee Declan Hassan had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Kennedy sent David Odumosu the wrong way from 12 yards for his third successful penalty conversion this week.

After a spell of domination, Cliftonville levelled three minutes before the interval when Jonny Addis nodded home a glancing header from a Ronan Doherty free-kick.

The home side regained the lead on 62 minutes when Josh Carson clipped in a free- kick which was met with a thumping header by central defender Nelson.

And the home side produced another goal from a set-piece eight minutes later when Devine made a clever run to the near post to glance home a header from Josh Carson’s corner.

Cliftonville reduced the arrears with two minutes left when Nelson brought down Ronan Doherty and Joe Gormely sent the resultant spot kick straight up the middle but the Reds were unable to conjure up an equaliser.

Linfield leave it late

Linfield had a great chance to grab an early goal at Windsor Park when Millar showed great skill in midfield to weave his way around multiple Carrick players before passing to Joel Cooper, whose delivery found Matthew Fitzpatrick but he fired wide.

Fitzpatrick had another chance to break the deadlock as the game approached the 20-minute mark, but he couldn’t keep his header from a Kirk Millar cross on target.

Ross Glendinning was then made to make his first save of the afternoon to gather Ethan McGee’s close-range header as a feisty first half drew to a close.

After the restart Charlie Allen’s strike from the edge of the box was deflected onto the left-hand post with Fitzpatrick heading the resulting corner over the crossbar.

David Healy’s side continued to dominate but struggled to break down the resolute Carrick defence until the 97th minute when the home side were awarded a free-kick after Steven Gordon fouled Cooper.

Millar took the set-piece with his curling effort finding the top corner to secure the three points for Linfield in some style to condemn Rangers to a seventh defeat in a row.

Ports put three past Crues

It was an entertaining opening at Seaview with chances exchanged at both ends, but it was the visitors who began to earn the upper hand.

Josh Ukek was a constant threat down the left-hand side and forced two fantastic saves from Crues keeper Jonny Tuffey before the 20-minute mark, and on 29 minutes it was Portadown who deservedly took the lead.

Eoghan McCawl provided the through ball and Ryan Mayse poked past the advancing Jonny Tuffey before stroking home from an acute angle for his fifth goal of the season.

The second half was all about Portadown and their second on 69 minutes was well-deserved.

Shay McCartan played an inside ball from the left into the feet of Ahu Obhakhan, who took his time before taking a step inside and firing in an effort into the bottom-right hand side of the goal via the upright.

Crusaders failed to heed the warning signs and were all but done seven minutes later.

Luke Wilson's effort from the edge of the box was well saved by Tuffey but the rebound fell to Lewis MacKinnon, who struck low and hard through the legs of the keeper and into the middle of the goal to spark a mass exodus from the home fans and move the Ports into seventh.

McKeown earns point for Glenavon

A wonderful second-half strike by Barney McKeown cancelled out Adam Glenny’s opener for Dungannon in the first half.

In the 13th minute, Leonel Ucha Alves whipped in an inviting cross that was met by the head of Glenny.

Glenny expertly headed the ball back from where it came to put the visitors a goal to the good.

Micheal O’Connor and Harry Lynch also came close with headed efforts for Glenavon, but both men were off-target when perhaps they should have done better.

But everything changed in the second half when Bobby-Jack McAleese was sent off for the Swifts.

He was only on the field for 10 minutes, but he went flying in on Niall Owens and the referee instantly brandished out a red card.

Glenavon were coming into the game before the dismissal and pushed forward more after as McKeown drew the sides level with a wonderful half volley on the edge of the area.

With the last action of the game Glenavon fired a free-kick into the box but the scramble ended with Dungannon punting the ball clear from goal and both sides claimed a point.

Bannsiders secure Showgrounds win

A goal at the end of each half from strikers Jamie McGonigle and Matthew Shevlin earned Coleraine a hard-earned win over Loughgall.

The hosts broke the deadlock in added time at the end of the first half thanks to a well-taken spot-kick from Jamie McGonigle, his first goal of the new campaign.

Ciaron Harkin was upended as he made his way into the Loughgall penalty area-and referee Evan Boyce pointing immediately to the spot.

McGonigle, making his 200th appearance for the Bannsiders, took the responsibility in the absence of regular penalty taker Matthew Shevlin and blasted the ball high into the roof of the net past a helpless Nathan Gartside.

McGonigle had earlier saw a close-range effort saved by Gartside while Connor Murray’s effort had been disallowed for offside after Cameron Stewart’s long range shot had been saved.

McGonigle failed to reappear after the break, replaced by Matthew Shevlin, and the half-time substitute came close to doubling the home side’s lead on two occasions in the second half.

He failed to keep his attempted lob on target after latching on to a long clearance from Rory Brown and was denied by a smart save low to his right by Gartside 10 minutes from time.

However, the Bannsiders’ leading marksman wasn’t to be denied and in added time he beat Loughgall’s offside trap to race clear and plant a low shot to the bottom corner for his fifth goal of the season.