Portadown were the only side to win at home in the Sports Direct Premiership this weekend as Linfield, Coleraine, Ballymena United and Larne all picked up three points on the road.

The Ports bucked the trend of away wins in Saturday’s evening kick-off thanks to a Josh Ukek goal seven minutes from time against Carrick Rangers.

The 25-year-old struck with seven minutes of normal time remaining when he was on hand to tuck away the rebound after Shay McCartan's initial effort from distance was denied by keeper Jack McIntyre.

Runaway leaders Linfield had kicked the weekend off with a two-goal victory over Crusaders at Seaview on Friday night.

Scoreless at the break, the deadlock was finally broken on 72 minutes when a Kyle McClean cross, initially cleared, was headed back into the area for teenager Matthew Orr to send a looping header over Jonny Tuffey.

Then, with six minutes remaining, Matthew Fitzpatrick got his name on the scoresheet with a right foot finish after cutting into the area down the right.

Ballymena United swept to a three goal defeat of Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park.

The Sky Blues moved in front after a quarter-of-an-hour. Swifts keeper Declan Dunne was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Calvin McCurry just outside the area and, from the subsequent free-kick, Patrick McEleney curled a superb finish past replacement keeper Alex Henderson into the top corner.

United grabbed their second of the afternoon early in the second half courtesy of Jordan McMullan who was teed up by Edogun to send a snapshot into the bottom corner from just inside the area.

And they made sure of the points with ten minutes remaining when Edogun finally got his name on the scoresheet after cutting inside from Conor Barr's pass to slip the ball past Henderson.

Declan McManus scored the late winner as Coleraine edged past Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

What turned out to be the only goal of the game arrived with nine minutes remaining when substitute McManus fired home a brilliantly executed free-kick from outside the area with his right foot past Tadhg Ryan into the corner of the net.

Meanwhile, at Lakeview Park, Paul O’Neill’s early goal was enough for Larne to get past Loughgall.

O'Neill grabbed what proved to be the winner as early as the sixth minute when his deflected finish from Olatunde Bayode's cross from the left wrong footed Villagers keeper Nathan Gartside.