Image source, Pacemaker PressImage caption, Larne remain top of the Irish Premiership table despite defeat but their lead has been cut to three points
- Published7 April 2026, 21:42 BST
Irish Premiership leaders Larne's hopes of a third title in four years were dented as they were thumped 4-1 by Coleraine at Inver Park.
Two goals from Matthew Shevlin, a header from Ben Wylie and a penalty from Will Patching helped the Bannsiders to the emphatic win after Dan Bent was sent off for Larne in the first half.
Glentoran took full advantage of Larne's slip-up as they narrowed the gap to three points at the top with a nervy 2-1 win over Cliftonville at Solitude.
In the race to avoid the drop, Lloyd Anderson scored a 94th minute equaliser to rescue a 1-1 draw for bottom side Crusaders against Bangor at Seaview as Glenavon drew 1-1 with Ballymena United at the Showgrounds.
Linfield came from behind to beat Dungannon Swifts 3-1 at Stangmore Park while Portadown and Carrick Rangers played out a 1-1 draw at Shamrock Park.
Clinical Bannsiders see off Larne
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Media caption,Watch: Coleraine capitalise on ten-man Larne
The visitors raced into the lead inside the opening two minutes thanks to Shevlin's 15th league goal of the season.
Midfielder Mark Coyle spotted the run of the striker and played the ball in behind a hesitant Larne defence and Shevlin raced clear of Matthew Ridley before rounding Larne goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson and firing into an unguarded net.
Shevlin passed up a great chance to double his and his side's advantage moments later but Rohan Ferguson produced a smart save to deny him while, at the other end, Ryan Schofield brilliantly saved from Andy Ryan after being set up by Sean Graham.
Both goalkeepers continued to impress – Ferguson blocking Zane Okoro's low shot with an outstretched foot while Schofield got his body behind an ambitious volley from Ronan Doherty.
Larne's frustrations were compounded when they were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Bent following a challenge on Shevlin in the 35th minute.
But they regrouped and drew level on the stroke of half-time when top goal scorer Ryan slotted home his sixth penalty of the season after Dylan Boyle handled inside the penalty area.
Ferguson came to the home side's rescue shortly after the restart when he touched Shevlin's goalbound header onto the post.
However, he was powerless to prevent the visitors regaining the lead just before the hour mark when Wylie was left unmarked six yards out to glance a header into the bottom corner of the net from a pinpoint Levi Ives delivery.
It was 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining when Patching netted his ninth goal of the season from the spot after Tomas Cosgrove was adjudged to have handled inside the area.
The scoring was completed with seven minutes remaining when Shevlin capitalised on some slack Larne defending to rifle home from 12 yards for his second goal of the night.
Glens stay in title hunt with hard-fought win
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Media caption,Glentoran edge past Cliftonville to narrow gap at top
Cliftonville made much of the early running with Ryan Curran flashing a shot narrowly wide of the target.
Brian Healy fizzed another effort wide of the visitors' goal on 36 minutes, but within 60 seconds it was Declan Devine's side who found the opening goal as Jordan Stewart raced onto Josh Daniels' pass and drilled a low shot across PJ Morrison into the far corner of the net.
Three minutes before half-time Glentoran doubled their lead when Pat Hoban headed in his fifth goal in his last three games against Cliftonville.
The game turned again on 62 minutes as ace marksman Joe Gormley came off the bench to halve the deficit.
Glentoran were twice denied by the woodwork late on as James Singleton and Hoban both went agonisingly close to a crucial third goal.
The Reds turned the screw in the closing stages with Shaun Leppard going closest to grabbing a share of the spoils, but his glancing header sailed wide of the net as Glentoran held on for a vital win.
Blues battle back to beat Swifts
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Media caption,Watch :- Dungannon Swifts v Linfield Highlights
The visitors dominated the majority of the first half, but it was the home side who hit the front against the run of play in the 36th minute as Cathal McGinty had the easiest of tap ins after Adam Glenny's cross slid all the way across goal to the Dungannon skipper.
Just minutes later the Blues were awarded a penalty after Dane McCullough was bundled to the ground, with Kyle McClean stepping up to equalise with a cool penalty into the top left-hand corner.
The Blues then went ahead on the hour mark as Darragh Leahy netted his first goal since signing in January, firing home from point-blank range.
Ten minutes later the visitors extended their lead. McCullough's pass from the byeline found McClean just inside the box, with the midfielder finding the bottom corner for his second goal of the evening.
Substitute Robbie McDaid did have the ball in the net late on for the Blues, but referee Tim Marshall signalled for offside in the build-up.
Carrick move closer to seventh and play-off place
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Media caption,Highlights: Portadown 1-1 Carrick Rangers
With just five minutes on the clock, Portadown went ahead as Adam Towe reacted quickest to lash home from inside the box after James Teelan's shot had been deflected into his path.
The hosts should have had a second when Teelan was denied by Gartside and Towe slid the rebound wide with the goal at his mercy.
Carrick didn't look like they had the ability to make Portadown pay but, with just over 10 minutes to go, Niall Devlin pointed to the penalty spot after Eamon Fyfe and Aidan Steele collided in the box after a long throw from Michael Place.
Danny Gibson finished low to the goalkeeper's right and earned Carrick the point that all-but secures seventh spot and the coveted European playoff place.
Spoils shared at the Showgrounds
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Media caption,Ballymena and Glenavon share Showgrounds spoils
After a quiet opening at the Ballymena Showgrounds, the first real chance fell to the home side when Stephen O'Donnell met a Dylan McGeouch corner with a header inside the six-yard box, but he couldn't keep his effort on target.
Ballymena then went in front just after the half-hour mark when Success Edogun intercepted Paddy Burns' pass and burst into the penalty area. He laid the ball off to Igor Rutkowski, who was unable to get his shot away but the ball rolled back to Edogun, who drilled a low shot under the body of goalkeeper Jacob Carney.
Glenavon finished the first half strongly with Paul McGovern's shot acrobatically turned behind by Ballymena goalkeeper Brad Wade and from the resultant corner, John Mountney saw an effort come back off the Ballymena crossbar.
The visitors levelled two minutes into the second period when Conor Falls curled a fabulous left-footed strike beyond the grasp of Wade from outside the penalty area.
Ballymena almost regained the lead immediately when Dylan McGeouch played a quickly-taken free kick into the path of Edogun, whose low angled shot clipped the outside of the post on its way past.
Neither side was able to claim a winner and the point keeps Glenavon off bottom spot on goal difference.
Anderson rescues late point for Crues
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Media caption,Highlights: Crusaders 1-1 Bangor
After weathering some early Bangor pressure, Crusaders went close when Fraser Bryden hammered a half-volley from the edge of the box which Gareth Deane reacted sharply to palm the effort away.
The Crues came close again less than a minute later when Josh Williamson took aim from distance, but his curling effort drifted just the wrong side of the far post.
Bangor threatened when Stephen Fallon picked out Iestyn Hughes and the defender drifted inside before firing a low effort wide across goal, opting to shoot rather than feed the well-placed Ben Cushnie.
The breakthrough arrived shortly after and Cushnie got his goal after Evan Easton was caught in possession by substitute Oisin Devlin, allowing the visitors to break before Cushnie curled an effort into the top corner from the edge of the area.
The hosts almost drew level just before the hour as Jordan Forsythe hammered a free-kick over the wall from the edge of the area, forcing Deane to claw the ball over the crossbar.
Deep into injury time, there was late drama as Crusaders flooded players forward in search of an equaliser.
The ball was initially cleared off the line before substitute Lloyd Anderson reacted quickest to apply the final touch from close range to rescue what could be a significant point in their race against the drop.
