Blues and Reds make it three wins from three

Linfield and Cliftonville made it 3 wins from 3 astatine nan commencement of nan caller Irish Premiership play pinch wins complete Glenavon and Dungannon Swifts respectively connected Tuesday night.

Joel Cooper scored doubly and Kirk Millar was besides connected target arsenic nan Blues won 3-0 astatine Mourneview Park to apical nan convention array connected extremity difference.

Joe Gormley's second-half extremity saw nan Reds return a 1-0 triumph astatine Solitude.

Crusaders maintained their winning commencement to nan run by pursuing up their opening nighttime 1-0 triumph complete Glentoran pinch a occurrence complete Ballymena United astatine nan Showgrounds by nan aforesaid scoreline.

Kieran Offord again proved nan matchwinner for Declan Caddell's broadside who way nan starring teams by 3 points pinch a crippled successful hand.

Coleraine stay unbeaten aft a 0-0 tie pinch Glentoran astatine nan Oval while Loughgall person besides yet to sensation conclusion this word pursuing a 2-2 tie pinch Portadown astatine Lakeview Park.

It took conscionable 96 seconds for nan visitors to break nan deadlock arsenic erstwhile Glenavon man Cooper latched onto a Matthew Fitzpatrick done shot earlier firing past Gareth Deane to springiness nan Blues an early lead.

David Healy's broadside doubled their lead conscionable earlier nan 20 infinitesimal people arsenic Cooper turned supplier this time, uncovering Kirk Millar successful acres of abstraction astatine nan backmost station pinch a debased transverse earlier he recovered nan apical area pinch his precise first-time effort.

Things went from bad to worse for nan Lurgan Blues arsenic Cooper added his second. Deane initially made a awesome prevention from Euan East, but could only parry nan shot into nan punishment area wherever Cooper was connected manus to occurrence location into nan bottommost area contempt being disconnected balance.

The 2nd half wasn't overly eventful, pinch Linfield happy to settee for their 3 goals and Glenavon incapable to create thing astatine each up nan apical extremity of nan pitch.

Gormley's decisive onslaught arrived successful nan 64th infinitesimal erstwhile Declan Dunne parried Shea Gordon's incisive debased cross. The shot landed astatine Gormley's feet, and his mis-hit effort nestled into nan net, sparking jubilation among nan location supporters.

Earlier, nan visitors had travel tantalisingly adjacent to seizing nan advantage successful nan 31st minute. Former Reds winger Thomas Maguire trim successful from nan near and delivered a pinpoint transverse to nan backmost post. Leo Alves met it pinch precision, but his onslaught cannoned disconnected nan crossbar from adjacent range.

The hosts had chances of their ain to break nan deadlock earlier half-time. Debutant Ryan Markey recovered himself one-on-one pinch Dunne successful nan 41st minute, but nan Swifts' goalkeeper expertly thwarted nan forward's delicate chip.

Moments earlier nan interval, Jonny Addis headed wide from a Ronan Doherty free-kick, ensuring nan sides remained level astatine nan break.

In nan 2nd half, Dungannon continued to property for an equaliser. Their champion chance came erstwhile Niall Owens forced a superb prevention from David Odumosu successful nan 70th minute, gathering Alves's transverse successful nan six-yard area.

Crusaders took a 5th infinitesimal lead astatine nan Showgrounds pinch a superbly-worked goal.

Daniel Larmour’s walk sent full-back Jacob Blaney scampering down nan correct flank and his angled transverse was met pinch a stylish diving header by Offord.

Jordan Stewart almost doubled nan visitors’ advantage soon afterwards but his attempted spot landed connected apical of nan net.

Ballymena went adjacent to levelling conscionable earlier half-time erstwhile Calvin McCurry trim successful from nan near and his curling changeable looked destined for nan apical area earlier Crusaders keeper Jonny Tuffey brilliantly clawed nan effort distant astatine afloat stretch.

United pressed difficult for an equaliser successful nan 2nd play but nan visitors defended stoutly and Tuffey was seldom called upon arsenic Crusaders made it back-to-back wins.

At nan Oval, Matthew Shevlin, a goalscorer successful some of Coleraine’s opening 2 games, should person done amended erstwhile presented pinch a awesome chance wrong nan opening 5 minutes.

The in-form striker latched connected to a mediocre backmost walk from James Singleton but he was forced wide by Glentoran ‘keeper Daniel Gyollai and nan chance was gone.

Cammy Palmer tried his luck from region conscionable minutes later but his 25-yard correct ft effort coiled conscionable nan incorrect broadside of Rory Brown’s acold post.

Jamie McGonigle was likewise disconnected target pinch a agelong scope effort conscionable aft nan half hr and Shevlin was denied by a smart prevention by Gyollai arsenic nan visitors vanished nan first half strongly.

The location broadside started nan 2nd half powerfully and had beardown claims for a punishment arsenic Cammy Palmer’s changeable appeared to onslaught Coleraine defender Cameron Stewart’s manus but referee Jamie Robinson was unmoved.

They came agonisingly adjacent to breaking nan deadlock pinch 15 minutes remaining erstwhile sub David Fisher’s free-kick whistled past Brown’s station from afloat 30 yards.

The Coleraine goalkeeper had to beryllium alert, too, to scope up and extremity complete Jordan Jenkins’ goalbound header from a heavy Fuad Sule transverse to nan backmost post.

And he proved his worthy again successful added clip arsenic he stood gangly to contradict Fisher from Niall McGinn’s whipped free-kick from retired connected nan touchline.

At Lakeview Park, Ryan Mayse gave Portadown a dream commencement arsenic he pounced connected a slack walk and his first-time effort from astir 30 yards flew complete Nathan Gartside for nan opening extremity conscionable 2 minutes in.

The lead didn't past long, however, arsenic 5 minutes later, a agelong throw-in from nan correct collapsed to Nathaniel Ferris who scrambled home.

Portadown almost restored nan lead but Gartside made a superb fingertip prevention to divert Josh Ukek's effort astir nan post.

The visitors were overmuch improved aft nan break and again they enjoyed a superb commencement arsenic Mayse hit nan offside trap on nan correct helping to propulsion backmost crossed extremity wherever Ukek finished.

Loughgall levelled again successful nan 65th infinitesimal and had an constituent of bully luck arsenic Tiernan's Kelly's changeable from extracurricular nan container took a deflection disconnected Lewis MacKinnon and hit Aaron McCarey.

Both teams were intent connected uncovering a winner, but it wouldn't get arsenic they settled for a tie which ensures Loughgall adhd to their play win, while Portadown are disconnected nan people pursuing 2 constrictive defeats.