Glenavon stun Linfield as Larne go top for Christmas

Champions Linfield lost ground in the Irish Premiership title race as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat by bottom side Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

Second-half goals from teenagers Ben Wilson and Paul McGovern helped the Lurgan Blues to just a fourth league win of the season.

Larne moved top of the table as they beat struggling Crusaders 1-0 at Seaview, courtesy of Benji Magee's fine solo goal.

Dungannon Swifts recorded a 4-2 victory over Portadown, with Sean McAllister scoring an eight-minute hat-trick in the first half.

Cliftonville stretched their unbeaten run in the league to eight games as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bangor.

Oran Kearney picked up his first point as Ballymena United boss as his side drew 1-1 with Carrick Rangers at the Showgrounds.

In a first half with very few clear-cut chances, it was the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock through former Glenavon player Isaac Baird.

His half-volley from the edge of the area fell just wide of the near post, and Glenavon's best chance come from Corey Smith's right boot after some neat trickery to beat his man.

Just as it looked like the Blues were beginning to huff and puff, Wilson broke the deadlock for the hosts and bundled home from close range after Harry Murphy's header struck the crossbar.

Glenavon doubled their lead with 20 minutes remaining through McGovern, who was on hand to find the bottom left-hand corner from inside the area after some lethargic Linfield defending.

David Healy's side upped the intensity after falling two goals behind and found an injury-time goal through substitute Charlie Allen, but the hosts hung on in the final stages for a vital three points.

Larne broke the deadlock on 11 minutes as Magee picked up the ball midway inside his own half, ran through the middle of the Crusaders side and finished nicely into the bottom corner.

Crusaders, to their credit, responded with some chances of their own as Jordan Forsythe landed a header on the roof of the net and Fraser Bryden forced a good save from Rohan Ferguson.

Larne were still dangerous on the counter and only a brave Josh Williamson block and a goal line clearance from Jarlath O'Rourke denied Jordan McEneff and Magee respectively.

The hosts had another big chance just after the break when Elliot Dunlop beat Tomas Cosgrove and picked out Bryden, but he planted his header wide.

Larne were awarded a penalty with just under 20 minutes to go when Paul O'Neill was fouled and he picked himself up to take it, but his spot kick was saved by Musa Dibaga.

Crusaders eventually had the ball in the net only for Bryden's effort to be ruled out for offside.

There was then late drama as Tony Clarke appeared to point for a stoppage time Crusaders penalty only to change his mind as Larne survived for a 10th game unbeaten.

Dungannon Swifts opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Junior found McAllister in the box, and he hit the ball low past Aaron McCarey.

Two minutes later, McAllister doubled his and the Swifts' lead as he held off Divin Isamala and slotted past McCarey once again.

McAllister completed his hat-trick six minutes later when he tapped in a Kealan Dillon corner.

Dungannon still had time to score a fourth just before half-time, this time from the spot after Junior was fouled inside the box.

Adam Glenny stepped up and hit the ball high to Aaron McCarey's left.

Portadown pulled a goal back on 66 minutes as Josh Ukek produced a great finish after a pass from Shay McCartan.

McCartan was then given his marching orders in the 82nd minute, as he received a second yellow card for a challenge on James Knowles.

The last of the six goals in the game would come via an own goal from Dungannon defender Danny Wallace, as he turned a low cross into his own net when attempting to clear.

It was the visitors who started on the front foot and fashioned the first opening when Joe Sheridan slipped Michael Glynn in behind the Bangor defence, but, from a tight angle, he lifted his effort over the crossbar.

The hosts responded and briefly thought they had the breakthrough on 16 minutes when Ben Arthurs tapped in, only for the offside flag to cut short the celebrations.

The deadlock was broken shortly before the half-hour mark when Harry Lynch brought down Conor Pepper in the area and Ryan Curran sent Patrick Solis Grogan the wrong way from the spot for his 100th goal in Cliftonville colours.

That lead lasted only a matter of minutes as Ben Cushnie nicked possession from Jonny Addis and fed Arthurs, and the forward slotted low past PJ Morrison for his ninth league goal of the season.

After the restart, Jim Magilton's side looked to exploit space in behind and went close when Eric McWoods muscled past Reece Neale and latched onto Harry Wilson's long ball, but he could not beat Solis Grogan.

Minutes later, Cushnie almost edged the Seasiders in front, but he was denied by the crossbar after his turn and shot in the area got the better of Morrison, but not the woodwork.

Deep into stoppage time, Lee Feeney's side almost clinched it when Mick Morgan's effort was blocked into Mark Haughey's path, but the defender's first-time strike fell the wrong side of the near post.

In a poor first half, Carrick's Luke McCullough headed Aidan Steele's deep corner towards goal, but Ballymena goalkeeper Sean O'Neill was able to smother the effort at the base of the post.

It was the visitors who went in front five minutes before the break when Matthew Snoddy's flicked header from Danny Gibson's cross came back off the post, but Steele reacted quickest to fire the rebound past O'Neill.

It took Ballymena an hour to seriously trouble Rangers' goalkeeper Nathan Gartside, when he dived to his right to palm away Aaron Jarvis' strike from outside the penalty area.

The home side levelled on 65 minutes when Matthew Clarke's long ball dropped behind the Carrick defence and as Daire O'Connor closed in, the ball broke off Gartside for O'Connor to steer home the loose ball.

Neither side was able to produce a winner with Success Edogun firing wide after Gartside had missed a Dylan McGeouch corner.