Irish Premiership: Top three all win as Coleraine losing run goes on

The top three teams in the Irish Premiership – Linfield, Larne and Cliftonville – all won on Saturday to consolidate their league positions.

Ronan Hale scored twice as Cliftonville defeated Ballymena United 3-0.

Carrick Rangers moved into the top six in the table courtesy of a 2-0 win at Coleraine, who have now lost their last six matches in the top flight.

Second-half goals from David Cushley and Daniel Purkis proved enough for Stuart King’s side to pile more misery on the under-par Bannsiders, who have also been dumped out of the Irish Cup in recent weeks.

In contrast, it was two first-half goals which proved the Swifts’ undoing at Stangmore Park, Leroy Millar and a Steven Scott own goal ensuring Larne stayed within four points of David Healy’s pacesetters.

Ronan Doherty’s fine strike capped off a comprehensive win for Cliftonville at Solitude after Hale had found the net twice, the first from the penalty spot.

Jim Magilton’s team remain four in arrears of the champions with one match in hand over the leading two.

Saturday’s other scheduled game between Loughgall and Newry City was called off because the playing surface at Lakeview Park was deemed unplayable.

Archer hits target for Blues

Linfield made it 11 games unbeaten at Windsor Park thanks to a single-goal success over Stephen Baxter’s Crusaders, who have now lost five of their last six outings in all competitions.

The hosts took the lead 26 minutes into the first half, as Archer got on the end of a pinpoint Kyle McClean pass through the heart of the Crusaders defence, before composing himself and firing beyond Jonny Tuffey and into the back of the net.

The Crues came within inches of an equaliser both before and after the interval, with Stewart Nixon twice going close.

His first-half effort sailed just over the crossbar thanks to a touch from a Linfield defender, with his left-footed strike in the second half flying just wide of the far post.

Both sides had the ball in the back of the net in the second half, but both goals were disallowed.

First, Darragh McBrien was deemed to have drifted offside, after thinking he had doubled Linfield’s lead. Then it was Crusaders’ turn to have a ‘goal’ chalked off as Chris Johns was deemed to have been fouled before throwing the ball into his own net.

Larne keep up pursuit

Larne made it eight games unbeaten by beating the Swifts, who remain in 10th place, six points above Ballymena United.

Millar gave Tiernan Lynch’s side the lead in the 41st minute with his seventh goal of the season after Declan Dunne could only palm Joe Thomson’s long-range strike into the former Ballymena United man’s path, and Millar made no mistake slotting into an open net.

Four minutes later, the Inver side doubled their advantage in bizarre fashion when Millar’s attempted finish was saved by Dunne and cannoned off Steven Scott and into the Swifts goal on the stroke of half-time.

The lively Joe Moore had the County Tyrone side’s best opportunity of the afternoon when the winger got on the end of Thomas Maguire’s inviting cross but with the goal at his mercy the former Portadown man could only head the ball straight at the alert Rohan Ferguson.

Substitute Ben Gallagher looked to have pulled a goal back with minutes remaining for the Swifts as the forward raced onto a ball over the Larne defence but with just Ferguson to beat Gallagher fired just over the bar when it looked easier to score.

Reds too strong for Sky Blues

Cliftonville almost went in front at Solitude on 11 minutes when Sean Stewart cut the ball back from the left and Ben Wilson fired a shot towards goal but Ballymena keeper Sean O’Neill showed great agility to touch the ball onto the crossbar.

The Reds also hit the woodwork for a second time through a Ronan Hale header before Hale did get on the scoresheet from the penalty spot on 33 minutes after Dylan Boyle was adjudged to have brought down Stewart.

Hale came close again in the second half when Stewart’s pass sent him clear on goal but O’Neill rushed off his line quickly to block the striker’s effort.

But Hale wasn’t to be denied as he doubled his and Cliftonville’s account on the hour when he ran onto a Gormley pass and checked back inside before squeezing a shot under Sean O’Neill with the ball trickling over the goal-line.

Ballymena tried hard to force a way back into the game but Cliftonville put the outcome beyond doubt on 79 minutes when Doherty curled a beautiful effort into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Carrick soar into top six

At Ballycastle Road, Carrick’s first win at Coleraine for three decades came courtesy of Cushley’s strike one minute short of the hour mark and Purkis’s goal four minutes from time.

The best chance of a dull first half fell at the feet of Coleraine’s Jamie McGonigle in the 21st minute.

The striker, who rejoined Coleraine in the January transfer window, found himself one on one with Carrick ‘keeper Ross Glendinning. McGonigle did everything right, getting his shot on target, but Glendinning did even better, deflecting the ball away with his trailing leg.

For Cushley’s opener, Purkis did all the hard work, reaching the by-line and pulling the ball back for Cushley to direct the ball last Rory Brown from close range with his right foot.

Lee Lynch and Conor McKendry both went close from distance as the hosts went in search of an equaliser but it was the visitors who scored the second goal of the afternoon.

A long ball up front saw Purkis outmuscle defender Graham Kelly inside the penalty area before calmly picking his spot and blasting home despite the efforts of Coleraine captain Stephen O’Donnell.