Glenavon relegated after loss to Crues as Coleraine win

Glenavon have been relegated from the Irish Premiership after Fraser Bryden's second-half goal gave Crusaders a 1-0 win over their fellow strugglers in their basement battle at Mourneview Park on Saturday.

The Crues striker fired home his 22nd league goal of the season to put five points between the teams with just one set of fixtures remaining.

The result condemns the Lurgan Blues to Championship football next season and secures Crusaders' place in the promotion-relegation play-off which will decide whether they preserve their top flight status.

Glenavon last played in the second tier in the 2004-05 season.

They lost their first 11 games this term but clawed their way back into contention to avoid automatic relegation under new manager Michael O'Connor, though ultimately their efforts fell short.

Crusaders earned a first Premiership win since 3 January when they beat Portadown last week and they followed that up with a crucial win over Glenavon this week.

Meanwhile Coleraine gave themselves a chance of lifting the league title next week as they defeated Linfield 3-0 at Windsor Park to move second in the table, above Glentoran on goal difference, and three points behind leaders Larne.

The Bannsiders host the Glens next Saturday, with the second-place finishers ensuring an automatic route into European football.

Cliftonville beat Dungannon Swifts 1-0 in the other game in the top half, while in the bottom six, Carrick Rangers saw off Bangor 3-0 and Portadown were 2-1 victors over Ballymena United.

Glenavon thought they had taken the lead on 13 minutes when Nathaniel Ferris headed a half-cleared free kick back into the Crusaders penalty area and Paddy Burns spun and fired a shot through the grasp of Musa Dibaga but the referee's assistant had his flag raised.

Crusaders' first effort came on the counter-attack with Elliot Dunlop cutting the ball back for Adam Brooks, whose shot was pushed behind by keeper Jacob Carney.

Early in the second half, Peter Campbell sent in a teasing inswinging free kick which eluded everyone with Harry Murphy just inches from converting at the back post.

The deadlock was broken six minutes into the second period when Cameron Bruce crossed from the left and Bryden lashed home a left-footed volley.

As Glenavon pressed for an equaliser, Campbell played a one-two with Ferris but his fierce shot was brilliantly blocked by defender Lewis Barr.

In the closing stages, Campbell curled a free kick over the Crusaders wall but Dibaga sprang to his left to push it around the post.

Crusaders were reduced to 10 men deep in stoppage time when Jordan Forsythe was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Paul McGovern.

Coleraine's title dreams are still alive as a win on the final day and defeat for Larne against Dungannon would see the Bannsiders crowned champions.

After a frenetic start at both ends, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 14 minutes thanks to a precise curling effort from Ben Wylie.

The Coleraine winger was afforded too much time and space as he curled a left-footed effort into the far corner beyond David Walsh and into the side of the net.

Ruaidhri Higgins' side then doubled their lead three minutes before the break as Matthew Shevlin got on the end of Joel Cooper's low cross for the easiest of tap-ins for his 25th goal of the season.

Zane Okoro added a third for the visitors on the hour mark, firing home from a tight angle with his left foot through the legs of the goalkeeper to seal the three points.

At Solitude, Dungannon spurned a great opportunity to break the deadlock on 14 minutes as Sean McAllister intercepted a loose pass by Josh Kelly to race into the Cliftonville box, but Luke Conlan did well to get back in and block the forward's shot.

They went even closer three minutes later as Adam Glenny got on the end of Kealan Dillon's free-kick, but his glancing header came back off the post.

Dillon then tested PJ Morrison with a shot from outside the box which the Reds keeper did well to parry.

Cliftonville shot into life as we headed towards the break as Ryan Curran was denied the opener thanks to a stunning reaction save by Declan Dunne on 39 minutes, and in stoppage time Tiernan Kelly got back on the line to head away Adam Carroll's snapshot.

The Reds kept pushing for the opener at the start of the second half with Rory Hale firing an effort narrowly wide from outside the box.

The pressure finally told on 50 minutes as Curran got the deftest of touches to Joe Toole's low cross wrong footing Dunne to find the bottom corner.

The Swifts responded with Dillon denied an equaliser with 20 minutes to go as Morrison pushed away his powerful shot.

Conlan should have eased the Cliftonville nerves late on but he planted his header over the bar but it didn't matter in the end as the hosts held on to secure the points and a fifth-placed finish.

It was Carrick who registered the first effort on goal in the 10th minute at Bangor, as the hosts failed to clear Aidan Steele's corner and the ball dropped to Danny Gibson, but the forward could only guide his header into the hands of Gareth Deane.

Chances remained at a premium in the first half, and the Seasiders came closest in the 39th minute when Tiarnan Mulvenna knocked Iestyn Hughes' cross into the path of Ben Cushnie, who failed to make clean contact, much to the relief of Nathan Gartside.

That set the tone for a decisive spell, as the breakthrough arrived moments later with Mark Haughey slipping while attempting to clear and Luke McCullough picking out Gibson unmarked, the Gers' top scorer rifling into the top corner.

Into first-half stoppage time, the visitors doubled their advantage as Gibson calmly rolled his penalty low to the left of Deane for his second of the afternoon following Lewis Francis' late challenge on Kyle Cherry in the area.

Lee Feeney's men emerged for the second half with renewed vigour and almost reduced the deficit, when Jay Boyd latched onto a poor clearance and struck from the edge of the box, but Steele stood firm to make the block and preserve Carrick's two-goal cushion.

The hosts kept pushing and came close again as Cushnie laid the ball into the path of Robbie Garrett, who unleashed a powerful effort from 20 yards, only for Gartside to react sharply and palm it away.

Just after the hour mark, the points were sealed as Adam Lecky found Steele on the edge of the area, and the midfielder shifted the ball onto his right before guiding it into the bottom corner.

With Gary Thompson in interim charge following the departure of Niall Currie during the week, Portadown opened the scoring early against the run of play at the Showgrounds as Eamon Fyfe pounced on an underhit pass across the Ballymena backline. The attacker kept his nerve and finished to net his 14th of the season.

Ballymena's best chance of the half came through Igor Rutkowski. A threaded through-ball to the striker saw him open his body up for a side-footed effort on goal, which was only denied by a diving Alex Moore.

The second half began much like the first, with Fyfe capitalising on a Ballymena defensive error.

Declan Breen attempted to play out from the back, which went straight to the Ports' frontman. He played a pass to an overlapping James Teelan, who was able to fire home into the bottom left corner.

There were strong shouts for the hosts to get a penalty in the 53rd minute. Success Edogun latched onto a pass and ran into the box before he was challenged by Divin Isamala. Referee Declan Hassan didn't think there was enough for a spot-kick.

Edogun would be the man to get the hosts on the scoresheet in the 69th minute when he managed to finish off a lofted pass by lobbing it over an on-rushing Moore.

Ballymena pushed for an equaliser late into the game but were unable to threaten the Ports' goal.