Irish Premiership: Coleraine and Crusaders win on opening weekend

Evan McLaughlin scored a first-half double as Coleraine beat Cliftonville 3-1 on the opening weekend of the Irish Premiership season.

Crusaders hammered Dungannon Swifts 5-1 at Seaview to open their campaign while nine-man Glenavon dramatically drew 2-2 away to Ballymena United.

Carrick Rangers beat Newry City 2-1 despite Thomas Lockhart's stunning 40-yard goal for the newly-promoted side.

• As it happened: Screamers on opening Saturday of Irish Premiership season

At the Showgrounds, debutant McLaughlin struck first just after the half-hour when he timed his run to perfection to touch home a Josh Carson cross.

He doubled his and Coleraine's tally nine minutes later with a fine solo effort. McLaughlin picked the ball up midway inside the Cliftonville half and raced clear into the penalty area to slot past new Cliftonville keeper Fynn Talley.

Cliftonville, runners-up in last season's Irish Premiership, fought their way back into the game after half-time and Curran threw them a lifeline with a powerful header from a Levi Ives Cross in the 57th minute.

Ronan Hale crashed a shot off the crossbar from 25 yards in the 65th minute as Paddy McLaughlin's side went in search of an equaliser.

At the other end Coleraine hit the woodwork twice in as many minutes through Dean Jarvis and Matthew Shevlin as the game ebbed and flowed.

But the final word went to the hosts when Glackin scored with a speculative effort from distance in injury-time, which bounced in front of Talley before nestling in the away goal.

Crusaders early pace-setters

Crusaders sit top of the table after a 5-1 thrashing of Dungannon Swifts at Seaview in the Belfast sun.

Ben Kennedy scored a hat-trick and Paul Heatley grabbed a goal in each half as the Irish Cup winners put on a rampant display against Dean Shiels' Swifts.

It took the hosts less than five minutes to take the lead when the evergreen Heatley scored from close range. Kennedy doubled the Crues' lead on the 36th minute when his deflected header deceived Declan Dunne, however the Swifts pulled a goal back through Rhys Campbell on the stroke of half time.

However Stephen Baxter's side continued where they left off and Kennedy produced the goal of the game when he chipped the vacant Dunne from 35 yards, and the midfielder completed his hat-trick when Ethan McGee failed to clear a Billy-Joe Burns cross, which allowed Kennedy to complete his treble.

There was still time for Kennedy to turn provider when he pulled the ball back in the box for Heatley to complete the route and ensure the Crues start the campaign with a big win and three points.

Glenavon rescue unlikely point

Nine-man Glenavon claimed a remarkable 2-2 draw at Ballymena United thanks to Aaron Prendergast's injury-time equaliser.

Ballymena went in front with less than four minutes played when Steven McCullough's corner was half-cleared and Ryan Waide's shot towards goal was diverted home by the head of Paul McElroy.

David Jeffrey's men doubled their advantage just after the half-hour mark when, once again, it came from a set-piece as Steven McCullough's in-swinging free kick was headed home by debutant Jordan Gibson.

But Glenavon grabbed a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Sean Ward's throw-in from the right flank wasn't cleared and Peter Campbell lashed a shot past Sean O'Neill from the edge of the penalty area.

Substitute David McDaid forced a save from Brown before Glenavon had two players sent off inside the space of four minutes.

First, Eoin Bradley was dismissed five minutes after coming on as a sub following an off-the-ball tussle with Conor Keeley and, on the hour, mark the visitors were down to nine men when defender Andrew Doyle was sent off for a lunging challenge on McElroy.

The visitors came close to levelling when Jack Malone's long-range free kick was pushed behind by O'Neill, while McElroy and Evan Tweed both forced saves from Brown.

Conor Keeley hit the crossbar in injury time for Ballymena before late drama four minutes into stoppage time when Ross Redman's attempted back-pass fell short of its target and substitute Prendergast reacted quickly to slip a low shot between O'Neill and the near post.

Newry fall to defeat despite screamer

Carrick Rangers claimed a 2-1 win over 10-man Newry City at Taylors Avenue as goals by Curtis Allen and Steven Gordon cancelled out Lockhart's stunning opener.

Lockhart's screamer came when the Newry man let fly with a powerful first-time effort from 40-yards which flew past Ross Glendinning on 16 minutes.

The home side responded when experienced striker Allen finished into the bottom-right corner on 37 minutes to net on his debut for Carrick.

The turnaround was complete when Gordon headed in Andrew Mitchell's free-kick on 75 minutes before Newry substitute Donal Rocks was sent off in the closing stages for an off the ball incident with Jim Ervin.