Coleraine move top as Glens draw with Cliftonville

Coleraine moved top of the Irish Premiership table on goal difference after coming from behind to win 3-1 against Carrick Rangers with Glentoran and Cliftonville sharing the spoils at the Oval.

Adam Lecky gave the away side the lead just before the 30-minute-mark. However, an own goal from Luke McCullough and goals from Jamie McGonigle and Dean Jarvis completed the comeback for the Bannsiders.

Two late first-half strikes from Thomas Lavery and Joe Sheridan gave the Reds the lead at the Oval, but David Fisher and James Singleton netted in the second half.

The Sky Blues lost their first league since the departure of manager Jim Ervin after Cahal McGinty's own-goal cancelled out his early strike and a superb shot from Adam Glenny sealed the three points for the Swifts.

Crusaders are now without a win in four games after Eamon Fyfe's effort, two goals from Ben Wylie and Ben Quinn's strike secured the crucial three points for Portadown.

Bangor got back to winning ways as they defeated bottom-of-the-table Glenavon by 2-1 at Mourneview.

The visitors broke the deadlock just before the half hour thanks to Lecky's third goal of the season.

Coleraine goalkeeper Aidan Harris did well initially to palm away a goal bound header from Jimmy Callacher from a corner but in the ensuing confusion, the striker reacted quickest to poke the ball over the line from close range.

Before the opening goal, Danny Gibson was denied by the width of the crossbar when his header from a Joe Crowe free-kick crashed off the woodwork while Matthew Snoddy was denied by a smart stop by Harris.

The hosts created little in the opening 45 minutes, Matthew Shevlin sending his effort the wrong side of the post on the stroke of half-time.

They did level, however, early in the second period thanks to McCullough's own goal after Levi Ives' corner caused a scramble in the box.

Coleraine hit the front for the first time seven minutes from the end when second half substitutes Joel Cooper and Jamie Glackin combined.

Cooper did well to spot the run of Glackin, who showed great pace to break clear of the visitors' defence before planting a low shot past Nathan Gartside.

The points were secured a minute from full-time when another sub, Dean Jarvis, netted a third.

Wil Patching did superbly well to run straight at a retreating Carrick defence before slipping the ball into the path of the left back, who despatched his shot low into the far corner.

The home side had more of the ball in the early stages and had a flurry of corners that ultimately led to nothing, but Cliftonville were struggling to get anything going at the other end.

That all changed on 36 minutes when Harry Wilson made a break into the box and his cutback found Lavery who had the space to side-foot home first time for the opening goal against the run of play.

Things would get worse right on the stroke of half-time as Odhran Casey was afforded far too much time to saunter forward from the back and his ball picked out the run of Sheridan.

Despite Andrew Mills getting a big touch on it, the ball found its way into the back of the net and was met by a cacophony of boos from the home fans.

Glentoran, who were without manager Declan Devine this afternoon, must have been sent out for the second half with Paddy McCourt's words ringing in their ears as Glentoran upped the pressure with Joe Thomson having a close-range effort blocked before Michael-John Kamara rattled the crossbar with a header.

Lavery then cleared substitute Jordan Jenkins' header off the line before the pressure finally told just after the hour mark when David Fisher bundled home a corner at the front post.

The pressure was squarely on the Cliftonville goal with Andrew Mills in the Glentoran goal largely a spectator.

The equaliser came with just over 10 minutes remaining through a James Singleton header and nobody could find a winner despite Joe Thomson being played in one-on-one late on.

Fyfe had the first effort of the game after only 30 seconds, swinging in a shot from 25 yards on the left that went just over Jonny Tuffey's crossbar.

On 10 minutes, Kurtis Forsythe attacked brilliantly down the right before firing a low cross across goal. However, keeper Aaron McCarey was alert to the danger and palmed the cross away.

Three minutes later, the hosts went even closer when Josh Williamson carried the ball across the edge of the area before offloading with his right foot. However, his effort clipped the top of the crossbar, to the relief of the Portadown fans.

Then, just two minutes before the break, Fyfe broke clear down the right-hand side of the box before attempting to square the ball. Kurtis Forsythe appeared to easily intercept for the Crues but instead knocked the ball straight back into the path of Fyfe, who tucked the ball into the bottom corner.

On 63 minutes it was two for the visitors. A short corner was worked to Wylie, and he danced around some slack defenders on the right side of the box, before curling in a lovely left-footed effort from 15 yards that nestled into the left side of the net.

Then 17 minutes later it was game over. A second for Wylie, a third for Portadown and what a strike.

This time Fyfe turned provider as he crossed from the right and Wylie was on the edge of the area to hammer in a half-volley right into the top right-hand corner of the net.

The Ports were not done with substitute Quinn netting with four minutes remaining as he turned and shot from 14 yards to end a miserable day for the hosts.

Dungannon forced a flurry of early corners and from one of them, delivered by Sean McAllister, Ballymena failed to clear and McGinty was on hand to slam the ball home from 10 yards.

Ballymena almost broke quickly when Success Edogun forced his way through the visitiors defence, but Declan Dunne stuck out an outstretched foot to block the striker's low shot.

Ballymena levelled in fortuitous circumstances on 28 minutes when goalscorer McGinty diverted Success Edogun's low cross into his own net under no real pressure.

Dungannon almost went in front 10 minutes after the restart when Adam Glenny met Bobby-Jack McAleese's cross with a firm header, but Ballymena keeper Declan Breen sprang across goal to make an excellent save.

Ballymena came close when O'Connor threaded a pass into the path of Edogun whose low shot was well saved low to his right by Dunne.

However, it was Dungannon who went in front on 76 minutes when Glenny ran onto a dropping ball and fired a superb first-time volley from 25 yards beyond Breen.

The hosts got off to a dream start in the sixth minute when Jack Malone reacted quickest to Oran O'Kane's first-time cross to score from close range and make it two goals in his last two appearances for the Lurgan Blues.

As the half progressed, it was Michael O'Connor's men who looked the more dangerous, with Malone going close to doubling his tally for the afternoon, but Bangor keeper Patrick Solis Grogan was alert to tip the midfielder's 20-yard effort around the post.

Minutes later, Bangor responded when Ben Arthurs threaded a pass through to Ben Cushnie, who advanced into space, but with just Mark Byrne to beat, the former Glentoran attacker failed to hit the target.

The away side did hit back minutes later when Arthurs sent Byrne the wrong way from the penalty spot after the Glenavon stopper had given away the spot-kick when he clattered into Michael Morgan in the area.

The Seasiders completed the turnaround just before the interval when Morgan raced onto Cushnie's through ball, then picked out the unmarked Arthurs, who headed home for his eighth league goal of the campaign.

From the restart, the visitors almost extended their lead when Cushnie was afforded time and space in the Glenavon half, but the attacker was denied by the woodwork.

Midway through the second half, Arthurs looked to have grabbed his hat-trick after hesitant defending from the home side allowed the frontman to nip in, but he could only direct his effort straight at Byrne.