Linfield moved 11 points clear at the top of the Sports Direct Irish Premiership after winning 1-0 against a stubborn Dungannon Swifts in the top-two clash at Stangmore Park.
Joel Cooper grabbed the glory with a second-half strike as David Healy’s side look like being odds-on favourites to recapture the league title.
At Mournview Park, Glenavon came from behind to defeat a miserable Crusaders team 3-1.
After a cautious opening 20 minutes in Dungannon where both sides attempted to find each other out, it was the hosts who had the first attempt threatening the scoreboard on 25 minutes.
James Knowles with a free-kick that looked like it was going to curl beyond the Blues’ stopper David Walsh and into the back of the net, but it flew just over the crossbar.
The visitors did grow into the game as the half progressed and could have snatched the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Kirk Millar played a short free-kick for Cooper who fired off a low drive, but his effort was palmed away by Dunne in the Swifts’ goal. Jamie Mulgrew chased after the rebound but couldn’t test Dunne as the half finished scoreless.
If the crowd felt that they needed a goal to warm them up on a dreary evening in Co Tyrone, they only had to wait eight minutes into the second half until they got their wish. Sadly, for the home support it was the Belfast side that grabbed it.
Cooper with his 11th goal of the campaign with a low strike from the edge of the box that seemed to glide into the bottom left-hand corner with minimum fuss.
Moments later, Rodney McAree’s side had a golden opportunity to draw level. Knowles played a superb delivery into the box for John McGovern, but his header was straight at Walsh in goal.
Knowles was involved again on 70 minutes when he cannoned a free-kick of the left-hand upright as the Swifts got the feeling this was not going to be their night.
Their evening was summed up in the dying minutes as keeper Dunne saw red for handling the ball outside the area as he closed down Matthew Fitzpatrick.
It wasn’t to be for McAree’s side but they can take comfort that they appear to be more than a match for the table-topping Blues.
Elsewhere tonight, Crusaders threw away a 1-0 lead to go down 3-1 to struggling Glenavon.
Philip Lowry opened the scoring for the Crues on 19 minutes, before Michael O’Connor equalised with a powerful header two minutes before half-time.
Second-half goals from Peter Campbell and David McDaid turned the game on its head as the Lurgan Blues go level with Carrick Rangers in 11th, whilst Crusaders remain in seventh.