Joe Gormley strike helps Cliftonville to 1-0 win over Mallards

IT was the ‘Day of the Glens’.

At Mournview Park, Glenavon thrashed Co Antrim Shields winners Ballymena 7-0. Yes, 7-0.

Manager Oran Kearney had demanded improvements after their defeat to Lisburn Distillery last week.

His team streaked into a 3-0 lead in 35 minutes against Ballymena Utd.

And the Lurgan Blues didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second half with a further four goals, including a Liggett own goal on 54 minutes followed by goals by Brown (60), Neill (66), and Bates on 80 minutes.

Glentoran beat Lisburn Distillery 3-0 at New Grosvenor with a first half goal from Ward followed by two in the second half from Clarke and Waterworth.

Cliftonville left it late but better late than never for the Reds.

Joe Gormley scored a cracker on 80 minutes against Ballinamallard in Co Fermanagh to keep his team on course to win the Danske Bank Irish Premier League.

And there was almost a shocker on the cards at Seaview where Dungannon Swifts rocked Crusaders with a goal not long before the half time whistle to lead 1-0.

But Jordan Owens spared his teams blushes with an equaliser on 80 minutes but it was two points dropped with the Shore Road men still to play Cliftonville in a rematch of their postponed game from last weekend.

Portadown striker Gary Twigg was taken off early with a knee injury in the Windsor Park clash between injury-hit Linfield and Portadown.

Early on, Portadown had a cert of a goal cleared off the line by Ervin much to the relief of the Windsor faithful who entertained some fans from the Falkland Islands.

On the stroke of half time, Gault gave the Blues the lead and McAllister made it 2-0 on 77 minutes.

It was a good three points for manager David Jeffrey who was without five injured players, including keeper Alan Blayney and Matty Tipton.

Donegal Celtic earned a point away to Coleraine at the Showgrounds but manager Pat McAllister had to watch much of the match with the fans after being sent to the stand by the referee.

FULL TIME SCORES DANSKE BANK IRISH PREMIER LEAGUE:

BALLINAMALLARD UTD 0; CLIFTONVILLE 1 (Gormley 70)

COLERAINE 0 (Ogilby s/o 77); DONEGAL CELTIC 0

CRUSADERS 1 (Owens 80); DUNGANNON SWIFTS 1 (Gawley 40)

GLENAVON 7 (Shannon 5, Martyn 14, Farren 35, Liggett og 54, Brown 60, Neill 66, Bates 80); BALLYMENA UTD 0

LINFIELD 2 (Gault 45, McAllister 77); PORTADOWN 0

LISBURN DISTILLERY 0; GLENTORAN 3 (Ward 28, Clarke 60, Waterworth 75)