Monday’s Sports Direct Premiership results
Loughgall 1 - 3 Coleraine
Ballymena 0 - 2 Glenavon
Carrick 0 - 0 Crusaders
Coleraine and Glenavon claimed away wins in tonight’s Sports Direct Premiership action, with two fixtures postponed due to the tragic passing of Cliftonville’s Michael Newbury.
Coleraine had started brightly in Loughgall, with two chances for Jamie McGonigle, as well as a speculative effort from Matthew Shevlin, but they couldn’t quite find the opening.
And on the half hour mark, the league’s eighth placed side found themselves behind when Conor McCluskey slotted home a free kick.
The Armagh side, seven points adrift at the foot of the table at the beginning of the night, would have snapped at the chance to take all three points.
Soon after the break however, Coleraine restored parity, as Matthew Shevlin scored in the 52nd minute.
In a rapid start to the second period, Coleraine looked bound for the lead, but Shevlin went from hero to zero as his penalty was saved by Nathan Gartside. Kyle Spence’s rebound slid agonisingly wide.
But they did take the lead shortly afterwards through Jamie Glackin, before the away side added a third from Rhys Campbell and held out for a 3-1 win.
Elsewhere, Carrick Rangers held Crusaders to a 0-0 draw.
Carrick held their own in the opening half, and arguably had the best chance of the opening period when Emmett McGuckin met Seanan Clucas’ cross only to flash his header just wide.
Clucas had another shot from range saved in the second half of a lacklustre encounter, although the hosts will have been satisfied to claim a point.
In the night’s other fixture, Ballymena were left to rue first half misses as Glenavon took all three points.
United winger Alex Gawne threatened the away side defence in the first 45 minutes, but it was to little avail as Glenavon held out until the break.
Goalkeeper Mark Byrne scuppered a few of the hosts chances, but the lack of cutting edge in the final third would have frustrated Jim Ervin.
And his frustrations grew when left winger Peter Campbell put Glenavon in front with the second half just a few minutes old, with Ervin himself soon sent off.
That sending off came about after Glenavon doubled their advantage, with a penalty miss kept alive and eventually nodded home by Davy McDaid as Glenavon claimed the spoils.