Andy Ryan celebrates scoring Larne's opener against Glentoran
Larne ended a three-match winless run in the Premiership by beating Glentoran 2-0 in a game which saw two players sent off.
Andy Ryan netted a penalty to give the champions a 21st-minute lead and the Glens wasted a chance to level when Finley Thorndike sent his spot-kick over the bar.
Cian Bolger tapped in to make it 2-0 before Glens defender James Singleton and Larne's Dylan Sloan were red-carded after a melee.
Matthew Shevlin hit a hat-trick as Coleraine defeated Dungannon Swifts 4-1 while goals from Jordan Gibson, Nathaniel Ferris and Jamie Rea gave bottom side Loughgall a 3-0 win over Glenavon.
Larne back to winning ways
Watch: Two sent off as Larne beat Glens
Glentoran forced the early pressure with a succession of corners, one of which saw Paddy McClean meet Thorndike’s delivery with a powerful header which keeper Rohan Ferguson beat away.
It was the visitors, however, who went in front from their first meaningful attack. Andy Ryan played a pass in to Jordan McEneff, who was impeded just inside the penalty area by Fuad Sule and Ryan sent Daniel Gyollai the wrong way from the spot.
Glentoran passed up a glorious chance to level with a penalty of their own after Jay Donnelly intercepted a Mark Randall back-pass only to be brought down by Ferguson but Thorndike blazed over the bar from 12 yards.
Larne doubled their advantage on 69 minutes when Sean Graham’s corner to the back post was helped back across goal and defender Bolger was on hand to poke home from close range.
There was more drama four minutes later with a double red card as Sloan reacted angrily to a poor challenge from Glentoran’s James Singleton and after a brief melee both players were dismissed by referee Evan Boyce.
Shevlin stars in Bannsiders victory
Watch: Coleraine v Dungannon Swifts
Shevlin's treble helped Coleraine complete back-to-back wins for the first time season with a comprehensive win over Dungannon at the Showgrounds.
Coleraine broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time through leading goalscorer Shevlin.
Jamie Glackin’s corner was headed towards goal by Rhyss Campbell where Shevlin reacted quickest to turn and blast the ball past Declan Dunne from close range.
The Swifts drew level less than two minutes after the restart. Leo Alves swung a free-kick into the heart of the Coleraine penalty area and James Knowles escaped the attentions of the home defence to head home from six yards.
The Bannsiders restored their advantage just after the hour through a Danny Wallace own goal. Lyndon Kane made great ground up the right wing before firing a low ball across the face of the Dungannon goal.
Wallace, in attempting to clear the danger, inadvertently redirected the ball past a helpless Declan Devine and into the back of the net.
It was 3-1 four minutes later as Shevlin showed all his predatory instincts to pounce on a loose ball and rifle the ball low into the bottom corner from eight yards.
And the game was over as a contest with 20 minutes remaining as Shevlin completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after Campbell had been upended by Adam Glenny inside the box.
That makes it 10 league goals now for Shevlin, whose Coleraine side close to within four points of league leaders while for Dungannon it’s now two straigh defeats.
More to follow....
Two in a row for Villagers
Watch: Loughgall v Glenavon highlights
Loughgall claimed their second win in as many games with a Lakeview Park win over Glenavon.
Glenavon had the best of the chances in the early stages of the first half, with David McDaid failing to find the back of the net after a great through ball from Niall Quinn.
But on 35 minutes, after offering little in the way of goalmouth action, Loughgall made the breakthrough with a wonderful Gibson strike.
Gibson curled the ball into the top corner of the net from just inside the box.
Minutes later the home side made it two after a Jamie Rea cross found the head of captain Ferris at the near post and his powerful header found its way into the net.
Seconds after the restart Balde Almanzar should have made it three but he sent his effort just wide of the net.
Balde went on to miss another gilt-edged chance after Conor McCloskey squared the ball but Balde’s touch wasn’t enough to direct it into the net.
Glenavon pushed late on, and David McDaid coming close but with the last kick of the game Rea rubbed salt in the wounds with a wonderful driven effort from outside the box to make it three.
