Larne defeat Linfield for first win of campaign

A second-half Conor McKendry goal gave back-to-back Irish Premiership champions Larne their first league win of the season as they defeated leaders Linfield 1-0 at Windsor Park.

McKendry struck against the run of play after the Blues had enjoyed the majority of the possession and chances to reduce his team's deficit to the pacesetters to nine points with three games in hand.

Cliftonville drew level on points at the top of the table with a comprehensive 5-1 win over Loughgall, who were reduced to 10 men late on.

Crusaders' unbeaten start to the campaign ended as they went down 1-0 to Glenavon at Seaview thanks to a Michael O'Connor strike while the in-form Ben Kennedy continued his hot scoring streak by netting a last-gasp goal to give Ballymena United a 1-0 win over 10-man Glentoran, who had skipper Marcus Kane dismissed.

Coleraine ran out convincing 3-1 winners against Carrick Rangers, who have now lost five straight top flight matches.

After a nervy largely uneventful first half at Windsor Park, the second was a much more high-tempo affair, with Linfield having success down the flanks.

First, Charlie Allen centred a superb left-footed delivery from the right that had Rohan Ferguson at full stretch to palm away to safety, before Matthew Fitzpatrick backheeled a low cross just behind the foot of Joel Cooper.

Just after the hour mark, Cooper had his strike on target. This time, he teased the Larne defence inside the area before unleashing a low right-footed drive which visiting stopper Ferguson did brilliantly to turn around the near post.

Euan East had a double header superbly saved by Ferguson before Larne struck on the counter-attack on 79 minutes

A long clearance down field was controlled by Matty Lusty, who darted inside, beating Chris Shields and twisting his way through on goal.

His left-footed shot was well saved by Chris Johns in the Linfield goal, but substitute McKendry was on hand to rifle home from eight yards.

Cliftonville's offensive juggernaut roared into life as Joe Gormley, the evergreen predator, ignited the onslaught in the 19th minute, clinically dispatching Michael Glynn's scalpel-like through ball beyond a despairing Nathan Gartside.

The floodgates burst open, and Cliftonville's relentless pressure bore fruit again moments later. Kris Lowe shrugged off Jamie Rea's challenge with disdain before coolly slotting home following Jonny Addis's searching long ball.

Addis then turned scorer in the 27th minute to all but end the contest when the former Ballymena United defender towered over the hosts' defence to thunder home Ronan Doherty's pinpoint corner, leaving Loughgall reeling.

The hosts showed a flicker of defiance after the interval, with Nathaniel Ferris conjuring a moment of sublime individual skill. His turn and thunderbolt finish briefly rekindled home hopes.

However, Taylor Stevens extinguished any notion of a comeback with a sublime finish, cutting inside to unleash an exquisite effort from range.

Stevens applied the coup de grâce in the dying minutes, turning in Ryan Corrigan's audacious chip to complete the rout as Loughgall's misery was compounded when Tiernan Kelly saw red for a second yellow for a clumsy challenge on Arran Pettifer.