Conor McMenamin scored twice as Glentoran hammered Larne 4-0 to move two points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership table.
McMenamin’s 10th-minute free-kick had the Glens 1-0 up at half-time, with Jay Donnelly’s backpost header making it 2-0 and then Danny Purkis tapping in.
McMenamin’s second of the game was deflected off the head of Fuad Sule.
Matt Fitzpatrick, Danny Wallace and Jack Malone with a penalty were on target as Glenavon beat Ballymena 3-2.
Jordan Gibson and Conor Keeley were the scorers for the Sky Blues.
The victory helps the eight-placed Lurgan Blues move four points clear of their opponents who sit one place below them in the standings.
Glentoran are now the only unbeaten team in the league after comfortably seeing off previously undefeated Larne at the Oval and Mick McDermott’s side also have one game in hand over Tiernan Lynch’s men.
McMenamin opened the scoring when his free-kick nestled in the bottom corner with the help of a post and the Northern Ireland international was also involved in the second when his looping pass found Donnelly.
The striker made no mistake from close range, with his header proving too strong for Rohan Ferguson.
McMenamin also set up the third when his inch perfect pass left substitute Purkis with a simple tap-in from close range to guarantee all three points were staying in East Belfast
The 27-year-old didn’t stop there and he got his second and the home side’s fourth when he broke free down the left wing with his strike taking a deflection and beating keeper Ferguson.
Glenavon come out on top in thriller
Glenavon overcame Ballymena 3-2 in a five-goal thriller at Mourneview Park.
In a first half dominated by Glenavon, it was Ballymena that emerged with the lead at the break. Fitzpatrick had headed over the bar and Conor Scannell, Eoin Bradley and Peter Campbell all had shots blocked for the home team before Gibson’s headed opener midway through the half against the run of play.
Despite the goal Glenavon continued to create chances, and Fitzpatrick had an effort saved by the feet of Sean O’Neill before Bradley fired over the bar.
The best chance of the half then fell to Conor Scannell, who cut inside a defender and fired past O’Neill but Ross Redman cleared off the goal line.
Glenavon finally got their reward when Fitzpatrick headed in an equaliser from a corner early in the second half, and Danny Wallace’s acrobatic volley from another corner put them in front for the first time.
In an end-to-end match Ballymena responded with a well-struck Keeley equaliser through a group of bodies in the area, but Glenavon responded again.
Fitzpatrick was fouled inside the penalty area by Kym Nelson and Malone sent O’Neill the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Back came Ballymena and McDaid was brought down to earn a penalty of their own, but Rory Brown saved Ryan Waide’s effort.
There was still time for Ballymena to make a fourth goal-line clearance and Glenavon to hit the crossbar through Malone, but the visitors could not find an equaliser as Gary Hamilton’s side capped a fine performance with all three points.
