Linfield beat Glens as Glenavon win at Bangor

Matthew Fitzpatrick scored a second-half winner as Linfield beat Glentoran 1-0 at Windsor Park to reignite their Irish Premiership title challenge.

The reigning champions are now five points behind Larne, and Coleraine, who won on Friday, are two points behind the league leaders

Earlier on Saturday, Cliftonville beat Crusaders 5-2 in the Irish Premiership while Glenavon defeated Bangor 3-1 to boost their survival hopes.

Brian Healy, Luke Conlan, Micheal Glynn, Harry Wilson and Josh Kelly netted against the Crues, who last won a match on 3 January.

Conor Falls scored twice as bottom side Glenavon moved to within seven points of the Crues with a 1-0 win at Bangor.

Baris Altintop netted the winner as Portadown beat mid-Ulster rivals Dungannon Swifts 1-0 at Shamrock Park.

On Friday, Irish Premiership leaders Larne stumbled with a 3-2 defeat at home to Carrick Rangers.

Coleraine beat rivals Ballymena United 1-0, which allowed the Bannsiders to cut the gap at the top to two points, albeit having played a game more than Larne.

Glentoran looked lively from the off and had claims for a penalty waved away by referee Steven Gregg inside the first few minutes after Jordan Jenkins went tumbling under a challenge from Darragh Leahy inside the area.

The visitors continued to look the more threatening in the opening half and created a number of half chances, thanks mainly to the promptings of Ross Clarke on the right wing.

Jenkins failed to get a decisive touch on one occasion while Aaron McEneff will feel he should have done better when he scooped his effort from 12 yards over the crossbar from another inviting ball into the box.

Linfield were restricted to few opportunities and Matthew Fitzpatrick looked isolated up front against a tough tackling Glentoran defence.

That all changed on the hour mark when Linfield's leading scorer struck for his 17th of the campaign.

Ethan McGee's long throw wasn't properly dealt with by a hesitant Glentoran defence and there was Fitzpatrick to swivel and direct his low shot into the corner of the net past a helpless Andrew Mills.

He came close to doubling his and team's tally shortly after but his near post header from a Kirk Millar cross went narrowly the wrong side of the crossbar.

At the other end, the home side had Chris Johns to thank for preserving their lead when he stood tall to deny Jenkins after the striker had beaten the offside trap.

The Glens threw everything at their opponents in the closing stages, substitute Josh Daniels off target with an ambitious overhead kick, but they were unable to break down a stubborn Blues defence.

Glenavon made a bright start when Peter Campbell squared for Falls, whose shot was blocked behind off defender Lewis Francis.

The visitors deservedly took the lead on 28 minutes when the same two players again combined with Campbell breaking forward and sliding a pass into the path of Falls, whose shot found the net via the body of Bangor's debutant keeper Lee Axworthy.

It took Bangor an hour to have a meaningful effort on goal when Ben Cushnie's low strike was well held by Jacob Carney down to his left.

Axworthy pulled off a fine save to deny Nathaniel Ferris but from the resultant Campbell corner, McKeown made a run to the near post and delivered a glancing header with the ball going into the net through a ruck of players.

Bangor's misery was compounded with six minutes left when keeper Axworthy was caught in possession by Falls who rolled the ball into the unguarded net.

Bangor pulled a goal back two minutes later when Ben Arthurs headed home from a Tiarnan Mulvenna corner but it was merely a consolation for the Seasiders.

Cliftonville made the perfect start when Healy struck in the fourth minute, when he latched onto Rory Hale's long ball through the middle and fired low past Musa Dibaga for his fifth goal for the Reds.

Minutes later, the Reds strengthened their grip on the contest when Conlan rose at the near post to head Glynn's corner into the net.

The pressure continued in the 15th minute as Hale teed up Glynn from 20 yards but his effort whistled past the far post.

Crusaders responded when Thomas Maguire pulled the ball back for Adam Brooks, who failed to hit the target with a close-range snapshot.

Their persistence paid off just before the break as Fraser Bryden diverted Jordan Forythe's delivery into Brooks' path, which allowed the forward to react first and head home from close range.

Cliftonville regained their two-goal cushion early in the second half when Hale found Glynn on the edge of the area and the defender drilled low into the bottom corner.

Declan Caddell's side reduced the deficit again just before the hour mark, when Scot Rough gained a yard on Shaun Leppard to head Finlay Thorndike's corner beyond Lewis Ridd.

Victory was sealed for the Reds with 12 minutes remaining as Harry Wilson collected a loose ball in the Crusaders' half and rifled it past Dibaga.

Deep into injury time, Josh Kelly claimed his first goal in Cliftonville colours when the Glentoran loanee got the final touch to Hale's free-kick to make it three home wins in a row for the Reds.

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The best chance of the first half was created by James Teelan, who replaced the injured Josh Ukek, when he used some impressive footwork to beat two Dungannon defenders in the box, but his weak effort was easily saved by Declan Dunne.

Portadown had a great chance at the beginning of the second half when Steven McCullough's corner found its way on target and Dunne needed to push the danger away.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 73rd when defender Altintop headed home Eamon Fyfe's corner.

Dungannon looked for a response and Leo Alves' free-kick was narrowly over the top, but Portadown's defence held firm for a vital three points.

Friday, 20 February

Coleraine 1-0 Ballymena United

Larne 2-3 Carrick Rangers

Saturday, 21 February

Bangor 1-3 Glenavon

Cliftonville 5-2 Crusaders

Portadown 1-0 Dungannon Swifts (17:30 GMT)

Linfield 1-0 Glentoran (18:00 GMT)