Larne lift title as Carrick secure Euro play-off
Larne celebrated lifting the Irish Premiership title after a 5-0 win over Coleraine at a joyous Inver Park.
Tiernan Lynch's side had all but secured the title after Monday's 1-1 draw with Linfield, but Micheal Glynn, Andy Ryan, two Paul O'Neill goals and a Scott Allan strike got the party started before Cian Bolger lifted the Gibson Cup.
Linfield drew 1-1 with Cliftonville in a dress rehearsal for the Irish Cup final next weekend, while Stephen's Baxter's final league match in charge of Crusaders ended in a 4-0 defeat by Glentoran.
Carrick Rangers defeated Glenavon 2-1 to secure a European play-off spot for Stuart King's side.
Crusaders will face Carrick Rangers in the play-off semi-finals while Coleraine will travel to Glentoran.
Dungannon Swifts, who could have moved into seventh place if Carrick slipped up, defeated Ballymena United 3-0 while relegated Newry City lost 4-1 to Loughgall.
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Larne wrap up title in style
Amid a party atmosphere at an expectant Inver Park it was the champions who took the lead after a quarter of an hour.
A loose ball dropped to Glynn just outside the left hand side of the penalty area and the full-back fired a looping drive up and over Coleraine keeper Martin Gallagher.
The home side doubled their lead five minutes before the interval after Darren Cole misjudged a through ball and let O’Neill in behind him before clumsily bringing down the striker.
Referee Raymond Crangle, in his final game before retirement, brandished a red card and Ryan sent Gallagher the wrong way from the subsequent penalty.
The home side added a third a minute before the break when O’Neill dispossessed Coleraine skipper Stephen O’Donnell inside the penalty area before curling an assured finish beyond Gallagher.
Larne grabbed a fourth less than a minute into the second half when Kieran Farren failed to head clear, leaving O’Neill clear to blast past Gallagher from six yards.
There was a fifth goal for Larne with six minutes remaining when keeper Gallagher handled a back-pass and Allan fired home from the resultant indirect free kick.
Reds hit back for Windsor Park draw
Linfield and Cliftonville drew 1-1 in a dress rehearsal of next Saturday's Irish Cup final.
Substitutes Jordan Stewart and Sam Ashford were on the scoresheet as both sides played out a less than thrilling draw at Windsor Park in the final league game of the campaign.
As a rather uninspiring first half developed, it was the hosts who had the best chance. Chris McKee's perfectly weighted through ball found Matthew Fitzpatrick down the right-hand channel, who squared the ball across to Braiden Graham who was about to shoot but for a superb intervention from Jonny Addis.
Linfield turned up the pressure in the second half, huffing and puffing but were unable to make a dent in the resolute Cliftonville defence.
That was until the 78th minute when the Blues hit the front through second half substitute Stewart. Joel Cooper's cross from the left was hung to the back post, where Stewart was on hand to head home from close range.
The Reds hit back eight minutes later with an equaliser through Ashford, who was lively in the area to convert Keevan Hawthore's low cross from the left-hand side.
Carrick secure European play-off
Carrick Rangers are two games away from Europe after a 2-1 victory over Glenavon at Mourneview Park.
After a quiet start, James Teelan was barged in the back in the box by Conor Kerr just after 20 minutes and David Cushley buried the spot kick into the top corner.
Shortly after, Glenavon shot themselves in the foot again when Danny Wallace's poor clearance was sent into the path of Curtis Allen by Danny Gibson and the experienced striker finished clinically.
Glenavon began to haul themselves back into the game and Ben Tilney diverted a Niall Quinn free-kick into his own net just before the break.
The second half did not have anywhere as much goalmouth action with Glenavon having the better of it.
Efforts from David Toure and Jamie Doran were easily handled by Ross Glendinning and, despite late red cards for Teelan and Robbie Garrett, Carrick did enough and will face Crusaders at Seaview on Wednesday in the European play-off semi-final.
Glentoran hammer Crues ahead of play-off
With both mangers having an eye on Wednesday's play-offs, it was two very under strength sides that faced off against each other at the Oval. And with that, the unfamiliarity brought a quiet contest as the two teams lacked cohesion and fluency.
Jay Donnelly fired Glentoran into the lead in the 32nd minute after Charlie Lindsay’s initial effort was blocked.
Crusaders missed a great chance to equalise after half-time when Cole McEnlea was twice denied at point-blank range by Oliver Webber in the Glentoran goal.
The Crues were left to rue those chances as Glentoran extended their lead just after the hour mark when Kirk McLaughlin broke into the area and rolled the ball into the bottom corner.
McLaughlin added a second five minutes later before captain Marcus Kane turned in Bobby Burns' corner in the 73rd minute to complete a devastating 10-minute spell from the hosts.
It was a deserving win for the Glens, who now go into their play-off with Coleraine high in confidence.
Dungannon miss out on play-off despite win
Dungannon Swifts capped off the season in fine form, clinching a fifth consecutive victory with a dominant 3-0 triumph over a youthful Ballymena United at Stangmore Park.
The home side broke the deadlock after just 12 minutes when Adam Glenny rose highest at the back post to nod home James Knowles' precise delivery from a Swifts corner.
Seven minutes after the interval, Andy Mitchell slotted home to double the Swifts' advantage.
There was time to add a third as Dean Curry sealed the victory for the home side in the 87th minute with his fourth goal of the season, bundling home Knowles' corner and ensuring three points for Dungannon.
Despite the win, Carrick's victory over Ballymena means McAree's side narrowly miss out on the European play-off.
Loughgall end fairytale season on high
Loughgall rubbed salt into the wounds of relegated Newry City with a 4-1 victory at the Showgrounds.
In a rather entertaining first period it was the visitors who struck first with a goal on 11 minutes when Andrew Hoey finished with a fine low-drilled effort into the bottom corner.
Just five minutes later Loughgall doubled their lead when Ryan Waide, who looked dangerous on the wing throughout, curled a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner beyond Conor Mitchell.
If home fans feared that the floodgates would surely open at this point, they were given some hope when Barney McKeown grabbed one back when he volleyed home at the second time of asking.
On 61 minutes Newry thought they had an equaliser when they bundled home after a goal-mouth scramble, but referee Jamie Robinson called play back for a handball.
As Newry tired, Ben Murdock and Caolan McAleer secured the win late on as Dean Smith's side ended their first season in the top flight in eighth place.
Irish Premiership results - Saturday, 27 April
Top six
Glentoran 4-0 Crusaders
Larne 5-0 Coleraine
Linfield 1-1 Cliftonville
Bottom six
Dungannon Swifts 3-0 Ballymena United
Glenavon 1-2 Carrick Rangers
Newry City 1-4 Loughgall
