Blues extend lead at the top as Glenavon beat Reds

Irish Premiership leaders Linfield re-established their 20-point lead at the top of the table after a 1-0 win against Loughgall at Windsor Park.

Matthew Fitzpatrick scored the winner for the Blues as they extended their lead over rivals Glentoran, who had cut the gap after beating Coleraine 2-1 on Friday.

Glenavon’s resurgence under Paddy McLaughlin continued as they made it five successive league wins with a dominant 3-1 home victory against Cliftonville.

Third-placed Dungannon Swifts ended their three-game winless run in the league as three first half goals helped them see off struggling Carrick Rangers 3-1.

At Seaview, Crusaders recorded back-to-back league wins as they triumphed 3-1 against Ballymena United.

Portadown host Larne at Shamrock Park in the late kick-off at 17:30 GMT.

After a bright start from the visitors, the Blues began to huff and puff and eventually broke the deadlock on the half hour mark.

Kyle McClean’s corner from the right was met on the head by Fitzpatrick, who netted his 10th league goal of the season despite Nathan Gartside’s best efforts to keep the ball out.

Loughgall looked threatening on the break, and almost found an equaliser as Fra McCaffrey’s strike was saved by the outstretched foot of David Walsh to deny the visitors a leveller just before the break.

Fitzpatrick hit the woodwork with another header early in the second half in what was the closest the Blues came to doubling their lead.

In a rather uneventful game, the league leaders hung on for all three points, leaving the Villagers empty handed on their travels to south Belfast.

A seventh successive league defeat sees Loughgall stranded at the bottom of the table on 13 points, still nine points behind Carrick Rangers.

Michael O’Connor struck an emphatic opener at Mourneview, exchanging a slick one-two with Jack Malone before surging into the box and rifling a low drive beyond Lewis Ridd.

Paddy McLaughlin’s men doubled their advantage just four minutes later, with Malone turning from creator to scorer. Sean Carlin’s pinpoint long ball split the Cliftonville defence, allowing Malone to ghost in and delicately lift the ball over the onrushing Ridd.

Any hopes of a Reds revival were dashed moments after the restart. Jack Keaney was penalised for a clumsy challenge on David Toure in the area and Davy McDaid stepped up to the spot and coolly dispatched his penalty.

Stephen McGuiness reduced the deficit deep into injury time, but the defender’s long-range strike into the top corner proved too little too late as Glenavon claimed all three points.

The home side took the lead after just nine minutes as Gael Bigirimana robbed Joe Crowe of possession and John McGovern latched onto the loose ball, feeding Andrew Mitchell who was able to convert from close range.

Dungannon doubled their lead in the 20th minute after Kealan Dillon’s corner was cleared, but only as far as Leo Alves, who took a clever touch before slotting into the bottom right-hand corner from outside the box.

Adam Glenny added a third before the break after great build-up play from the Swifts.

The move started when Bigirimana controlled a mishit clearance from Carrick stopper Ross Glendinning and found McGovern.

The forward then played a clever one-two with Bobby-Jack McAleese before sending the ball across the box for Glenny to finish.

It was the visitors who made the brighter start to the second half and netted on 57 minutes when Paul Heatley slotted home substitute Danny Gibson’s deflected cross from the left wing.

Both teams continued to push for goals with Dillon firing just over the crossbar for Dungannon and Declan Dunne doing well to clear the ball away from the onrushing Gibson, who was through on goal.

Ballymena almost went in front with 17 seconds on the clock when Success Edogun played in Kian Corbally, whose shot was beaten away by Jonny Tuffey.

Instead, it was Crusaders who took the lead on 14 minutes when Jarlath O’Rourke’s corner went all the way to the back post where it came off unfortunate United defender Conor Barr and ricocheted into the net.

It was 2-0 on 21 minutes when an O’Rourke free-kick was flicked on by Jordan Forsythe and Jacob Blaney was in yards of space to fire past Sean O’Neill.

Almost immediately, however, Ballymena halved the deficit after Forsythe brought down Andy Scott in the penalty area and Patrick McEleney fired the spot kick up the middle.

Ballymena piled on the pressure in the second period, but it was Crusaders who sealed the points in the final minute from a counter-attack, orchestrated by Jordan Stewart, which culminated in O’Rourke cutting inside and firing past O’Neill.