Hat trick for Timmy Adamson

HAT-TRICK hero Timmy Adamson helped Crusaders keep pace with table toppers Cliftonville with a 5-2 drubbing over Donegal Celtic.

The Crues were 1-0 up at half time but a hat trick by Adamson in the second half and a fourth from McKeown left DC well and truly buried by the Hatchet Men.

It means Stephen Baxter’s Seaview men remain in second place in the Danske Bank Irish Premier League.

With the three points they have closed the gap on leaders Cliftonville to four points.

Cliftonville play Lisburn Distillery on Monday night (7.45 pm kickoff) and bar an upset they should go stay on top and a win would put a seven point gap between them and Crusaders.

Ballinamallard remain in third place after a one-nil win over Glenavon at Mourneview Park with a Kee goal on 65 minutes.

And Coleraine remain in fourth after they kept a clean sheet at home and beat Glentoran by a single goal from Shane Jennings on eight minutes.

With Glentoran’s defeat, Linfield moved into sixth place with a 2-1 win over Ballymena Utd at Windsor Park with goals from Hanley and Brown (penalty).

Dungannon Swifts earned a point at Portadown with a 1-1 draw with Ronnie McFall’s team.

So all eyes will be on Lisburn Distillery to see if the Ballyskeagh men can put a brake on Cliftonville’s run of form.