Larne hammered 10-man Glentoran 4-1 at the Oval, extending their Irish Premiership lead to 10 points. Paul O’Neill bagged a brace, with goals from Chris Gallagher and Tomas Cosgrove. The win marks Larne’s 15th unbeaten league game, underlining their title credentials under manager Gary Haveron.

Glentoran’s task grew harder after Ryan Cooney’s first-half red card. Despite briefly equalising through Daniel Larmour, they couldn’t contain Larne’s attacking force. The defeat deals a blow to their top-four hopes, with momentum clearly shifting toward the pacesetters.

Elsewhere, Linfield lost ground after a 0-0 draw with bottom side Carrick Rangers. Josh Archer’s early red card hurt their chances, despite plenty of possession. Cliftonville rescued a 2-2 draw against Ballymena United through Joe Gormley’s late strike, keeping their playoff hopes alive.

The results tighten the midfield battle, with just four points separating second from fifth. Linfield must regroup quickly, while Larne look increasingly likely to break a 106-year title drought.