Premiership

WINS FOR COLERAINE, GLENAVON, GLENTORAN AND PORTADOWN

11 Apr 2021
football
© Brian Little/PressEye Josh Robinson and Jordan Stewart in action at Inver Park
There were weekend Premiership victories for Coleraine, Glenavon, Glentoran and Portadown while it finished all square at Seaview and Inver Park.
 
Leaders Linfield saw their advantage at the top reduced slightly to ten points after coming from behind to salvage a draw from their visit to face Larne.
 
Ronan Hale fired the home side in front after half-an-hour with a finish from inside the area after Martin Donnelly had done well to beat a couple of defenders to create the opening. However, with just five minutes remaining, Andy Waterworth claimed a point for the Blues with a near post header after Ross Larkin had knocked on a long ball forward.
 
Coleraine skipper Stephen O'Donnell hit both goals for the Bannsiders in their 2-1 win over Warrenpoint Town at Milltown.
 
Scoreless at the break, 'Point edged into the lead thanks to Kealan Dillon's 63rd minute finish into the top corner.
 
The visitors hit back moments later with O'Donnell's first of the game, a header from Jamie Glackin's corner. But they had to wait until ten minutes from time to claim the points when O'Donnell nodded home the rebound after Gabriel Sava had punched out another Glackin corner.
 
Two Rory Donnelly first half goals helped third placed Glentoran defeat Dungannon Swifts at The Oval.
 
He opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute after controlling a ball forward and firing low beyond Roy Carroll in the Dungannon goal. Donnelly then doubled his tally just before the half-hour mark with a looping header from around 40 yards after Carroll had initially made the clearance from a counter attack.
 
The North Belfast derby at Seaview produced four goals but no winners as Crusaders shared the spoils with Cliftonville.
 
The Crues took the lead on 29 minutes when, from a Jarlath O'Rourke corner, Jordan Forsythe rose highest to nod home at the near post.
 
Cliftonville levelled on 55 minutes through Ryan Curran's close range finish before edging in front a short time later with Michael McCrudden's sixth goal in three outings before Philip Lowry grabbed the equaliser for Crusaders a couple of minutes from time.
 
Glenavon got the better of Ballymena United by the odd goal in five at Mourneview Park. 
 
Two goals in quick succession towards the end of the first half from James Singleton and Greg Moorhouse put the Lurgan Blues into a commanding position but United fought back after the break through Jonny Addis and a Craig Hyland own goal to level matters.
 
However, Daniel Purkis struck what proved to be the winner from the spot with 12 minutes remaining after Peter Campbell had been brought down by Ryan Harpur in the box.
 
Meanwhile, goals from Ben Tilney and Lee Bonis saw Portadown get past Carrick Rangers at Shamrock Park. Tilney kicked the scoring off after 13 minutes with a free-kick from the right side of the area with Bonis wrapping things up late on.