Irish Premiership: Crusaders beat Linfield as Cliftonville & Larne win

Philip Lowry scored on his 250th appearance as Crusaders defeated Linfield 2-0 in the Irish Premiership.

Northern Ireland winger Niall McGinn scored a first-half hat-trick against his former club as Glentoran hammered Dungannon Swifts 6-0.

Ten-man Coleraine beat Carrick Rangers 1-0 while Ballymena United against Newry City ended goalless.

Crusaders go level on points with Linfield in third place after defeating the Blues at Seaview thanks to Jordan Forsythe’s opener and a screamer from Lowry.

It took just six minutes for the first goal of the game as Forsythe met Ross Clarke’s corner with his head and scored his 50th goal in Crusaders colours.

Forsythe’s header hit the underside of the crossbar and crossed the line despite Andrew Clarke’s best efforts at keeping it out.

The Crues doubled their lead in the 59th minute when the in-form Lowry netted superbly from 25 yards with his 14th league goal of the season to mark his 250th Crusaders appearance in style.

Cliftonville hold on for big win

Cliftonville stretched their unbeaten league run to five games with victory over an injury-stricken Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

Reds forward David Parkhouse got his first start and his first goal for his new club after slotting home from close range following Luke Turner’s knockdown from a Levi Ives free-kick.

The Lurgan Blues went in at half-time a goal down despite having the better chances, the best of which fell to Aaron Pendergast, who volleyed wide from yards out after Jack Malone’s mis-hit shot fell to the forward, before Matthew Snoddy headed off-target from six yards following Aaron Rogers’ pinpoint cross.

The visitors doubled their lead 15 minutes from time when Colin Coates rose highest to power home Ronan Doherty’s cross.

The league leaders had chances to add to their tally as Sean Moore saw his effort cleared off the line by an alert Danny Wallace and Luke Turner was adjudged to have fouled debutant Marc Matthews in goal to deny the defender adding a third for Paddy McLaughlin’s men.

Glenavon would pull one back on the 90th minute when Matthew Fitzpatrick headed home a Peter Campbell free-kick to give the visitors hope of a comeback, but Cliftonville secured the points after substitute Joe Gormley cut the ball back for Ronan Hale to slot home into an open goal.

McGinn stars as Glens hammer Swifts

Glentoran scored five goals in 19 first-half minutes as Rodney McAree saw his team put six past Dungannon in his first game in charge at the Oval.

McGinn opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when he dispossessed Caolan Marron in midfield, travelled into the box and fired home from close range.

The Glens then took advantage of a mix-up between Declan Dunne and Steven Scott – Jay Donnelly won possession off Scott and flicked the ball on for Shay McCartan, whose curling strike made it two.

Donnelly was in action again with another great cross finding Northern Ireland international McGinn, who made no mistake when left one on one with keeper Dunne.

McGinn got his hat-trick in the 37th minute when his powerful volley from a Bobby Burns pass found the back of the net.

Marcus Kane’s header from a corner took a deflection off Mayowa Animasahun and beat keeper Dunne as the hosts made it five.

The only goal of the second half came in the 65th minute when McCartan’s free-kick from a dangerous position flew over the wall and into the back of the net, and it would have been more if Dunne had not made strong saves to keep out Donnelly and Terry Devlin.

Larne beat bottom side Portadown

Cian Bolger and Joe Thomson scored as Larne got back to winning ways at Inver Park by beating bottom side Portadown 2-0.

Bolger headed home a powerful header past Jethren Barr from a pin-point Lee Bonis cross on 20 minutes.

Larne doubled their lead seven minutes into the second half when Thomson hammered home into the top-right corner from an attacking play involving Leroy Millar and Bonis.

Tiernan Lynch’s side dominated the first half and could have gone two ahead on 30 minutes when Millar headed narrowly wide of left post from a Micheal Glynn corner.

Portadown’s best chance came early in the second half when Mark Russell cut in from the left wing before firing wide of the right post, while Bonis and Millar missed opportunities to add to the scoreline.

Shevlin sends Coleraine past Carrick

Ten-man Coleraine kept pace with the leading pack following a hard-earned win over Carrick Rangers at the Showgrounds.

Matthew Shevlin’s 17th league goal of the season from the penalty spot in the 70th minute was enough to claim the three points and keep the Bannsiders in fifth place.

The striker was upended in the box by Carrick substitute Ronan Kalla only seconds after coming on and he made no mistake from the spot, sending Carrick keeper Ross Glendinning the wrong way.

Coleraine were reduced to 10 men 12 minutes earlier when Jamie Glackin was sent off for a tackle on Lloyd Anderson.

At the other end, Coleraine keeper Marty Gallagher, at fault for at least one of the goals in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Cliftonville, produced a remarkable reaction save 12 minutes from the end to preserve his side’s lead.

Anderson must have thought he had scored when he connected with Neda Maciuilitis’s cross yards out in front of goal but Gallagher dived across to keep his effort out.

Stuart King’s side upped the tempo in the closing stages but Coleraine held firm to make it 13 games unbeaten in all competitions.

Sky Blues and Newry in delayed stalemate

Ballymena United and Newry City slugged out a frustrating scoreless draw at the Warden Street Showgrounds.

After a 15-minute delay in kick-off due to Newry players and the match officials being caught up in traffic in Belfast, it was a tepid opening 45 minutes with a long-range shot from Newry’s Thomas Lockhart straight at Sean O’Neill.

Chances continued to be at a premium in the second period as Steven McCullough curled a free-kick inches wide, while Jordan Gibson’s header from a Kenny Kane corner was headed off the goal-line by the alert Donal Rocks.

Newry appealed for a penalty when James Teelan collided with Ballymena keeper Sean O’Neill just outside the penalty area but referee Diarmuid Harrigan saw nothing untoward.

Rocks came close to winning it for Newry in the final minute when his curling effort was tipped over by O’Neill.