IRISH PREMIER LEAGUE Ards 1-3 Cliftonville Dungannon Swifts 0-0 Crusaders Larne 2-3 Portadown

The victory saw Liam Beckett's side move into the top half of the table, gaining two places to sit in seventh.

They had to wait until the 64th minute when McConnell headed the opener from a Sean Friars corner.

Mulvenna headed a second and, although Gary Kennedy pulled one back, McConnell struck again to make the game safe.

So another bad day for Ards who have not won since 20 November.

But things could have been so different if Kennedy had hit the target with a 40th minute spot-kick after he himself had gone down just inside the penalty area.

Referee Frankie Hiles decided there had been a foul but Kennedy blasted the penalty over the crossbar.

In the second half two Friars corners led to goals, McConnell's opener followed by Mulvenna heading in on 70 minutes.

Ards pulled one back five minutes later when Kennedy scrambled in following a Raymond Campbell free.

But five minutes from time McConnell's second header, this time from a Declan O'Hara centre, settled the issue.