Ballymena United stunned Irish Premiership champions Larne as Ben Kennedy’s 85th-minute close-range header gave the Sky Blues a 1-0 win at Inver Park on Saturday.
Kennedy’s fifth goal in as many league games made it back-to-back victories for Ballymena in the top flight while the Invermen have just one point to show from their opening two outings as they sit 12 points behind leaders Linfield with three games in hand.
Dungannon Swifts made it three Premiership wins in a row as John McGovern’s 40th-minute strike at Stangmore Park gave his side all three points against Glentoran, a result which sees Rodney McAree’s charges draw level on points with their opponents on 10 points from six matches.
Glenavon twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Loughgall at Mourneview Park, Jay Boyd and Jordan Gibson netting for the visitors and Barney McKeown and James Doona on target for the hosts. All the goals came in the last quarter of the game.
Eamon Fyfe’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 win for Portadown at Carrick Rangers, a first triumph of the campaign for Niall Currie’s men and a fourth straight league loss for Carrick.
In a poor opening 45 minutes, the first meaningful effort didn’t come until stoppage time at the end of the half, when Andy Ryan’s downward header from a Dylan Sloan cross was comfortably saved by United keeper Sean O’Neill.
The home side almost took the lead in the early minutes of the second half when Joe Thomson burst into the penalty area before laying the ball off for Ryan, whose shot cannoned back off the crossbar.
Minutes later, defender Sam Todd found space at the back post from a corner but his downward header was straight at O’Neill.
Ballymena’s first effort came just short of the hour mark when Kennedy’s first-time effort was straight at Rohan Ferguson.
Substitute Conor McKendry produced a surging run and shot which O’Neill pushed away but no Larne player was on hand to react and Danny Lafferty was able to clear the danger.
As the game looked to be heading for stalemate, it was Ballymena who struck the decisive blow with five minutes left when Josh Carson’s inswinging corner was missed by Larne keeper Rohan Ferguson and Kennedy was on hand to nod home.
The decisive moment at Dungannon arrived in the 40th minute when John McGovern latched onto Kealan Dillon’s exquisite through ball before leaving the Glens’ defence in his wake and clinically dispatching past a helpless Daniel Gyollai for his second league goal of the season.
The east Belfast outfit had spurned a gilt-edged opportunity earlier in the contest to take the lead, Kodi Lyons-Foster contriving to miscue from point-blank range after Paddy McClean’s deft header from Danny Amos’ pinpoint corner.
The visitors came within a whisker of parity on the stroke of half-time as Dylan Connolly thought he had equalised, only for Danny Wallace to produce a Herculean goal-line clearance, leaving the Glens’ faithful incredulous.
The hosts nearly doubled their advantage through Dillon, whose venomous strike from range whistled agonisingly over with minutes remaining.
Post-interval, Rodney McAree’s charges weathered the storm and stood strong, their resolute rearguard action frustrating the visitors at every turn.
The Glens’ only chance in the second half fell to David Fisher, who came perilously close to levelling proceedings in the 61st minute. His curling effort from the area’s periphery narrowly evaded the top corner.
Four goals in 19 second-half minutes saw Glenavon and Loughgall share the points in a rip-roaring affair.
There was little in a low-key first half to hint at the drama to come after half-time but the game burst into life in the 67th minute when Boyd, only on the pitch as a substitute, blasted home from 12 yards out after panic in the home defence.
The visitors’ lead lasted barely seven minutes as Glenavon defender McKeown rose highest inside the penalty area to head home Michael O’Connor’s long throw-in.
Ten minutes later, the subs were at it again as Gibson pounced on a Boyd assist to finish a blistering counter-attack from Dean Smith’s well organised side.
And with just four minutes of normal time remaining, another sub, this time Glenavon’s Doona, did brilliantly to angle home a fierce drive from inside the box to level for a second time.
There was still time for Loughgall to almost pinch the points with virtually the last kick of the game as Tiernan Kelly’s low drive was brilliantly kept out by a full length diving save from Gareth Deane.
The first half at Taylors Avenue was a scrappy affair with very little in the way of goalmouth action, though Portadown’s Josh Ukek came the closest with a well-taken shot that Ross Glendinning had to be at his best to stop.
Portadown started the second half with much more intensity and they were rewarded with a goal on the 69th minute.
From deep within their own half, Portadown fired a long ball into the path of Fyfe.
Fyfe was too strong for Kurtis Forsythe, shrugging him aside, before calmly slotting the ball below Ross Glendinning and into the Carrick Rangers net.
Ryan Mayse then came close to grabbing a second for the Ports with a cross-come-shot that came back off the crossbar.
With five minutes added on, Carrick Rangers made a late push and in the last action of the game, several players had half chances.
However, it wasn’t enough to trouble the Portadown defence or keeper Aaron McCarey.
