Glens close gap at the top as Crues lose again - report & highlights

Glentoran closed the gap to league leaders Larne to two points after a 4-0 victory over Bangor at Clandeboye Park.

Ross Clarke netted twice in the first half before James Singleton and Pat Hoban added to the Glens' tally after the restart.

At Seaview, Cliftonville were the victors in the north Belfast derby thanks to Joe Gormley's goal in the 93rd minute.

Elsewhere, an own goal from Baris Altintop, Kyle McClean's penalty and Adam Frizzell's strike sealed the three points for Linfield against 10-man Portadown.

Glentoran opened the scoring on 19 minutes when an initial cross from the left by Jack Malone went all the way to the far side where Cammy Palmer crossed the ball to the near post for Clarke to guide beyond goalkeeper Gareth Deane.

The former Crusaders winger doubled his and the visitors' tally on 26 minutes when he arrived in the six-yard box to steer home Singleton's low cross from the left-hand channel.

Bangor struggled to make an impact with their best chance falling to Iestyn Hughes who ran onto a through ball but although his shot beat keeper Andrew Mills, it hit the outside of the side netting.

The home side came within a whisker of pulling a goal back when substitute Michael Morgan ran through and lobbed the ball over the advancing Mills, but his effort bounced off the top of the crossbar and dropped over.

The home side suffered another blow on 64 minutes when Glentoran grabbed a third with Singleton steering a shot into the bottom corner following a long throw from the right flank.

Then, the east Belfast side added a fourth on 76 minutes when Hoban took advantage of a defensive mix-up between Deane and Lewis Francis to lob the ball into the unguarded net.

Cliftonville started brighter and almost took the lead in fortuitous circumstances when Kurtis Forsythe attempted to head Joe Toole's ball back to Musa Dibaga, only to send it beyond the stranded goalkeeper and watch it roll narrowly wide of the Crusaders' goal.

Midway through the first half, Keevan Hawthorne threatened when the winger was allowed to turn and drive at the Crues defence, but his left-footed strike was deflected safely into the hands of the alert Dibaga.

Shortly afterwards, Jim Magilton's men fashioned their best chance of the opening period when Jonny Addis' shot was blocked into the path of Adebayo Fapetu, whose effort was cleared off the line by Forsythe before Elliot Dunlop reacted quickest to hack Shaun Leppard's follow-up away on the goal line.

Cliftonville picked up where they left off after the restart when Liam McStravick took aim for the top right-hand corner from distance, only to see the ball whistle past the upright.

McStravick remained at the heart of the Reds' attacking play and he crossed for Hale, who cushioned it back into Josh Kelly's path on the edge of the area. However, the Glentoran loanee's first-time strike flew off target.

With 12 minutes remaining, Finley Thorndike produced the home side's best chance of the contest when the playmaker drove forward and unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards that whistled narrowly wide of the post.

Deep into injury time, the Reds claimed all three points when Hale's free-kick was cleared only as far as Gormley, who took a touch to steady himself before drilling a low finish into the far bottom corner for his fifth league goal of the season.

It took less than two minutes for the Blues to hit the front after Altintop converted Euan East's cross into his own net with Isaac Baird lurking had he not made some sort of contact.

The visitors then found the equaliser midway through the first half with Eamon Fyfe bundling home Josh Ukek's cross, rounding off a tidy move that started with Divin Isamala down the right-hand side.

After the restart, Kieran Offord returned for the first time since November for the Blues, but his night was cut short just 13 minutes later as he was unable to continue following a firm challenge from Lewis MacKinnon.

Shay McCartan was awarded a yellow card on the hour mark for a late challenge on Sam Taylor, and was sent his marching orders eight minutes later for bringing Darragh Leahy to ground inside the penalty area.

McClean made no mistake from the spot a minute later to restore the Blues' slender advantage.

David Healy's side wrapped up the three point four minutes from time as substitute Frizzell buried a left-footed strike into the bottom corner following a swift counterattack.