Coleraine & Glens win as Carrick thump Cliftonville

Coleraine came from behind to beat Crusaders 5-1 as they closed the gap on Irish Premiership leaders Larne to eight points.

The Bannsiders scored all five of their goals in the second half, with Joel Cooper netting a hat-trick and efforts from Mark Connolly and Matthew Shevlin sealing the win after Fraser Bryden had opened the scoring and then missed a penalty.

Glentoran got back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

Danny Gibson scored a hat-trick as Carrick Rangers fought back to thrash Cliftonville 4-1 at Solitude.

Dungannon Swifts moved level on points with Linfield as they picked up a 2-0 win over Ballymena United at Stangmore Park.

Stephen Fallon scored his first Bangor goal to help them beat Portadown at Clandeboye Park.

The home side started brightly and Crusaders goalkeeper Musa Dibaga was twice called into action to deny Coleraine midfielder Will Patching in the early stages.

Cooper was narrowly off target with a left-foot curling effort from the edge of the penalty area and should have done better when through on goal but elected to shoot himself when team-mates were better placed.

The visitors always looked threatening and Coleraine keeper Ryan Schofield produced an acrobatic save to deny Adam Brooks from a corner.

Crusaders were rewarded from their enterprise just after the half hour as Bryden broke the deadlock with his 16th goal of the season.

Finley Thorndike was afforded time and space to deliver an inviting cross from the left wing and the big striker timed his run to perfection to beat Schofield from close range at the back post.

Whatever Coleraine head coach Ruaidhri Higgins said to his players at half-time clearly worked as they equalised seconds after the restart.

Shevlin spotted the run of Cooper on his left and Coleraine's leading marksman did the rest, racing forward before planting an unstoppable shot high into the roof of Dibaga's net.

Crusaders passed up a great chance to regain the lead moments later when Bryden stepped up to take a penalty, but Schofield produced a brilliant save to his right to palm the ball away.

And they were made to pay as the hosts scored three times in nine minutes to put the game to bed.

Connolly got on the end of a Patching corner to score his second goal in two games before Cooper netted his second of the afternoon from a Zane Okoro assist after 65 minutes.

Shevlin got in on the scoring act with a shot which squeezed under Dibaga after clever work from second half substitute Senan Devine.

There was still time for Cooper to complete his hat-trick deep in added time, though his shot may have taken a final touch off a Crusaders defender.

The opening half-hour of the game had little in the way of goalscoring chances, but Glenavon were the team in the ascendancy.

This was until the 35th minute when Cammy Palmer delivered a low cross into the box which was met by Niall Quinn who, in an attempt to clear, diverted the ball into his own net.

Late in the half Glenavon almost equalised through new signing Gavin Gilmore, but his sweetly-struck free-kick was saved by Andrew Mills.

Palmer then grabbed Glentoran's second of the afternoon, racing through before firing low past Jacob Carney.

Glenavon got one back in the 71st minute after the Glens failed to deal with a Glenavon set-piece.

Peter Campbell delivered a great cross which was met by Paul McGovern, who rose highest to head the ball home, but it proved to be a mere consolation.

The home side opened the scoring in the 10th minute when Adebayo Fapetu picked out Brian Healy at the back post and his header went in via a deflection off Matthew Olosunde for his second in Cliftonville colours.

On the half-hour mark, it looked as though Stephen Baxter's men would draw level when Ryan McKay's corner dropped for Gibson, but the forward's effort was straight at PJ Morrison.

Shortly after, Cliftonville had a chance to double their advantage as Shea McGarry found Healy at the back post, only for his effort to strike the side-netting.

That miss proved costly as moments later, Gibson raced onto Mikey Place's flick and lifted a composed finish over the onrushing Morrison to draw Carrick level.

Just four minutes later, the comeback was complete as Gibson powered into the Cliftonville penalty area and squared for Paul Heatley to roll the ball into an empty net.

Baxter's side extended their lead in first-half injury time when Olosunde was fouled by McGarry in the area, allowing Gibson to send Morrison the wrong way from the penalty spot.

After the restart, Gibson completed his hat-trick when Heatley flicked the ball over the Reds' defence, and after his initial volley was saved, the striker reacted quickest to convert the rebound for his eighth league goal of the season.

After a quiet start, Dungannon had the first real opening as Kealan Dillon's 25-yard strike was acrobatically tipped over the crossbar by debutant Ballymena goalkeeper Brad Wade.

The English keeper was called into action again soon afterwards when he punched away Corey Smith's fiercely-struck cross-shot before Junior's deflected effort came off the crossbar.

Ballymena should have gone in front inside the opening 60 seconds of the second half when Success Edogun's low cross found Igor Rutkowski six yards out, but his scuffed effort was straight at Declan Dunne.

The deadlock was eventually broken on 67 minutes when Gael Bigirimana provided the pass for Dillon to find the bottom corner with a crisp low shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Dungannon wrapped up the points with nine minutes left when Junior latched onto a long clearance from Dunne and ran through to beat Wade with a shot.

The Seasiders dominated the opening half, with debutant Lestyn Hughes impressing down the wing and creating an early chance for Jay Boyd.

Michael Morgan also tested Portadown goalkeeper Aaron McCarey from distance and went close from a corner, but Lewis Francis sent his effort over the crossbar after a goal-line scramble.

Fallon had the final opportunity of the first half but narrowly dragged his shot wide.

The on-loan Coleraine man did then break the deadlock shortly after the restart as he met Reece Neale's corner with a powerful near-post header.

Portadown, playing their first league game of the year, almost equalised late on as substitute Tabu Rabby Minzaba rattled the post with the last kick of the game.