Larne ease past Glenavon to go top, as Carrick defeat Newry

Larne returned to the top of the Irish Premiership on Friday night courtesy of a 3-0 win over Glenavon.

Leroy Millar netted a first-half double at Inver Park. A second-half strike from Lee Bonis was enough to secure the points.

Glenavon had some first-half chances of their own, notably when Calum Birney, unmarked, headed wide from Jamie Doran's corner. Matthew Fitzpatrick also shot wide from close range.

In Friday night's other game, Emmet McGuckin scored twice to help Carrick Rangers past 10-man Newry City 2-0.

Those results enabled Stuart King's side to leap-frog Glenavon into eighth spot.

On Saturday afternoon, Linfield beat Cliftonville 1-0 - Kris Lowe appearing to get the final touch to the only goal of the game in the 56th minute.

Ballymena and Portadown finished 0-0 at the Showgrounds, whilst Glentoran drew 2-2 at Coleraine.

The Bannsiders scored a late leveller - Matthew Shevlin with a close-range, acrobatic finish.

That came after he had earlier missed a penalty. Dean Jarvis put the Bannsiders ahead before an Aaron Jarvis own-goal redressed the balance.

Conor McMenamin put the Glens back in front before Shevlin's intervention.

Dungannon Swifts fell 3-0 at Seaview to Stephen Baxter's Crusaders.

A first-half Jordan Forsythe penalty put the Shore Road men ahead and second half strikes from Paul Heatley and Adam Lecky wrapped up the points.