Ten-man Larne lose as Glens win to narrow gap at top
· Yahoo Sports
Irish Premiership leaders Larne's hopes of a third title in four years were dented as they were thumped 4-1 by Coleraine at Inver Park.
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Two goals from Matthew Shevlin, a header from Ben Wylie and a penalty from Will Patching helped the Bannsiders to the emphatic win after Dan Bent was sent off for Larne.
Glentoran took full advantage of Larne's slip-up as they narrowed the gap to three points at the top with a nervy 2-1 win over Cliftonville at Solitude.
In the race to avoid the drop, Lloyd Anderson scored a 94th minute equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw for bottom side Crusaders against Bangor at Seaview as Glenavon drew 1-1 with Ballymena United at the Showgrounds.
Linfield came from behind to beat Dungannon Swifts 3-1 at Stangmore Park while Portadown and Carrick Rangers played out a 1-1 draw at Shamrock Park.
Clinical Bannsiders see off Larne
The visitors raced into the lead inside the opening two minutes thanks to Shevlin's 15th league goal of the season.
Midfielder Mark Coyle spotted the run of the striker and played the ball in behind a hesitant Larne defence and Shevlin raced clear of Matthew Ridley before rounding Larne goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson and firing into an unguarded net.
Shevlin passed up a great chance to double his and his side's advantage moments later but Rohan Ferguson produced a smart save to deny him while, at the other end, Ryan Schofield brilliantly saved from Andy Ryan after being set up by Sean Graham.
Both goalkeepers continued to impress – Ferguson blocking Zane Okoro's low shot with an outstretched foot while Schofield got his body behind an ambitious volley from Ronan Doherty.
Larne's frustrations were compounded when they were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Bent following a challenge on Shevlin in the 35th minute.
But they regrouped and drew level on the stroke of half-time when top goal scorer Ryan slotted home his sixth penalty of the season after Dylan Boyle handled inside the penalty area.
Rohan Ferguson came to the home side's rescue shortly after the restart when he touched Shevlin's goal bound header onto the post.
However, he was powerless to prevent the visitors regaining the lead just before the hour mark when Wylie was left unmarked six yards out to glance a header into the bottom corner of the net from a pinpoint Levi Ives delivery.
It was 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining when Patching netted his ninth goal of the season from the spot after Tomas Cosgrove was adjudged to have handled inside the area.
The scoring was completed with seven minutes remaining when Shevlin capitalised on some slack Larne defending to rifle home from 12 yards for his second goal of the night.
Glens stay in title hunt with hard-fought win
Cliftonville made much of the early running with Ryan Curran flashing a shot narrowly wide of the target.
Brian Healy fizzed another effort wide of the visitors' goal on 36 minutes, but within 60 seconds it was Declan Devine's side who found the opening goal as Jordan Stewart raced onto Josh Daniels' pass and drilled a low shot across PJ Morrison into the far corner of the net.
Three minutes before half-time Glentoran doubled their lead when Pat Hoban headed in his fifth goal in his last three games against Cliftonville.
The game turned again on 62 minutes as ace marksman Joe Gormley came off the bench to halve the deficit.
Glentoran were twice denied by the woodwork late on as James Singleton and Hoban both went agonisingly close to a crucial third goal.
The Reds turned the screw in the closing stages with Shaun Leppard going closest to grabbing a share of the spoils, but his glancing header sailed wide of the net as Glentoran held on for a vital win.
Blues battle back to beat Swifts
The visitors dominated the majority of the first half, but it was the home side who hit the front against the run of play in the 36th minute as Cathal McGinty had the easiest of tap ins after Adam Glenny's cross slid all the way across goal to the Dungannon skipper.
Just minutes later the Blues were awarded a penalty after Dane McCullough was bundled to the ground, with Kyle McClean stepping up to equalise with a cool penalty into the top left-hand corner.
The Blues then went ahead on the hour mark as Darragh Leahy netted his first goal since signing in January, firing home from point-blank range.
Ten minutes later the visitors extended their lead. McCullough's pass from the byeline found McClean just inside the box, with the midfielder finding the bottom corner for his second goal of the evening.
Substitute Robbie McDaid did have the ball in the net late on for the Blues, but referee Tim Marshall signalled for offside in the build-up.