Summary

  • Carrick Rangers 3-0 Ballymena United (Res)

  • Cliftonville 2-2 Linfield - Live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website (Res)

  • Glenavon 3-1 Dungannon Swifts (Res)

  • Glentoran 2-1 Coleraine (Res)

  • Portadown 0-1 Crusaders (Res)

  • Warrenpoint Town 0-3 Larne (Res)

Live Reporting

Mark Sterling, Richard Petrie, Andy Gray and Stephen Alexander

  1. Drama all the way!

    More twists and turns in title race

    So, who said they wanted some drama this evening?!

    We had it in spades as an intriguing Irish Premiership title race took a few more twists and turns with some late goals in the key matches at the top of the table.

    Linfield's lead is back down to just one point after Glentoran's last-gasp win over Coleraine and it could have disappeared altogether but for youngster Ethan Devine's late equaliser for the Blues.

    Elsewhere, Paul Doolin's first game in charge of Portadown ended in a heart-breaking late (there's that word again!) defeat by Crusaders, while there were also wins for Glenavon, Larne and Carrick Rangers.

    We're back again on Friday night with live stream action from the meeting of Ballymena United and Cliftonville before five more games on Saturday.

    We'll see you then. Bye for now.

  2. We left it late - McDermott

    FT: Glentoran 2-1 Coleraine

    We left it late. I thought we had one more chance left in us and thankfully we got on the end of a great delivery and we tucked it in. I'm definitely happy with the three points. When you don't get a second [goal] there is always the belief in a team with the quality of Coleraine. We left ourselves with a lot to do but thankfully we did it. It's a hard league and every game is tough. There are a lot of twists and turns to come in this league.

    Mick McDermott, Glentoran manager

  3. Gray bemoans goal controversy

    Warrenpoint Town 0-3 Larne

    The second goal meant the game was practically over as a contest. The first goal they took well, the second, the least said the better for me. I don’t understand how the linesman can give a goal that's over the line from 20-30-plus yards away. He’s got it wrong in my opinion – we have the footage from behind the goal that proves that. Unfortunately for us at that point, the game is over as a contest. We’re exactly where we were yesterday, we just have to be patient and maybe over the next few weeks we’ll have the opportunity to close the gaps.

    Barry Gray, Warrenpoint Town manager

  4. Ballymena performance 'inexplicable'

    FT: Carrick Rangers 3-0 Ballymena United

    Inexplicable. We had been on a good run of late. Tonight, disappointment doesn't come close, I am actually really angry in terms of our performance levels this evening. I praise in public, criticise in private but at this moment in time I am absolutely angry and I am really disappointed and I feel desperately let down. This was an opportunity to get into sixth position in our own right, but it just wasn't acceptable.

    David Jeffrey, Ballymena United manager

  5. We rolled our sleeves up - Cushley

    FT: Carrick Rangers 3-0 Ballymena United

    It means a lot. The last couple of months we haven't had the best results so it was just about hard work, having your sleeves rolled up. It was just the little things that weren't working, wee mistakes, but tonight, to a man, everyone put a great shift in. We have to be very happy.

    David Cushley, Carrick Rangers midfielder

  6. Larne 'back on the horse' - Lynch

    Warrenpoint Town 0-3 Larne

    We were coming off the back of two poor results so it was important we got the win and got back on the horse again, as they say. The pitch doesn’t always lend itself to free-flowing football but I thought the players played their football in the right areas at the right times and I thought they were superb. It was good to get Lee (Bonis) on the scoresheet and Davy (McDaid) back on the scoresheet and hopefully that gives us a little bit of confidence going into Saturday.

    Tiernan Lynch, Larne manager

  7. The race is on!

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  8. Last-minute defeat 'frustrating' - Kearney

    FT: Glentoran 2-1 Coleraine

    Nobody likes to concede in the last minute. They are brilliant when you get them but they are not nice when they go against you and it is frustrating from that point of view. I thought the first half there wasn't a huge amount in it, both teams cancelled each other out. We stayed in the game and flipped it around the 50/55 minute mark and it worked for us. We got a lot of joy and built up a head of steam, got our goal and we wanted a grandstand finish from us where we keep out foot on the pedal. It's a silly free that we gave away. We didn't win the first ball or the second and, all of a sudden, you are away down the road with nothing.

    Oran Kearney, Coleraine manager

  9. Right, who wants some reaction from a dramatic night?

  10. Kennedy strikes late

    FT: Portadown 0-1 Crusaders

    What is it about the Irish League and late goals?

    A big win for Crusaders, another tough night for the Ports...

    Ben Kennedy wins it late for Crusaders

  11. End to end...

    Glenavon 3-1 Dungannon Swifts

    Conor McCloskey proves the best form of defence for Glenavon is attack.

  12. Simply Devine

    FT: Cliftonville 2-2 Linfield

    New recruit Ethan Devine secures a dramatic late point for the Blues!

    Linfield equalise for the second time

  13. McMenamin steals it for the Glens

    FT: Glentoran 2-1 Coleraine

    Now that's a roar from the Glentoran faithful!

    Conor McMenamin scores a late winner for the Glens

  14. FULL-TIME

    Warrenpoint Town 0-3 Larne

    About as routine a victory as you'll see for Larne, who were rarely threatened by the home side.

    The prognosis on Warrenpoint's chances of avoiding relegation gets bleaker with every passing week.

  15. FULL-TIME

    Carrick Rangers 3-0 Ballymena Utd

    Carrick Rangers secure a first league win in 10 games as a David Cushley double and a goal from Ewan Kelly sees them past Ballymena.

    That makes it three wins from three games against the Braidmen this season for Stuart King's men who move above Dungannon Swifts into ninth in the table.

  16. FULL-TIME

    Glenavon 3-1 Dungannon Swifts

    An impressive second half comeback from Glenavon, who recover from a goal down to claim their first league win in four games.

    It also brings Dungannon's run of three straight league victories to a conclusion.

  17. FULL-TIME

    Cliftonville 2-2 Linfield

    It's all over at Solitude and that late equaliser from sub Ethan Devine has won a precious point for Linfield.

    The young striker's header made it 2-2 on 85 minutes after Jamie McDonagh had twice given Cliftonville the lead with precise strikes.

    Matthew Clarke scored the first equaliser for the Blues who keep their place at the top of the table.

  18. goal

    GOAL

    Portadown 0-1 Crusaders

    Ben Kennedy slams the ball home to give Crusaders a dramatic 90th-minute lead!

  19. FULL-TIME

    Glentoran 2-1 Coleraine

    It's all over at the Oval! Conor McMenamin is the hero!

    That's a huge victory for Glentoran, who were pushed all the way by Coleraine.

    "We love you Glentoran, we do!", rings out around east Belfast!

  20. Kelly makes it three

    Carrick Rangers 3-0 Ballymena Utd

    Ewan Kelly scores Carrick's third against Ballymena.

    Ewan Kelly scores Carrick's third goal of the evening