Portadown have been relegated from the Irish Premiership after going down 3-2 to Dungannon Swifts in a dramatic basement battle at Stangmore Park.

The Swifts look set to contest the relegation/promotion play-off after Newry City drew 2-2 with Ballymena.

Glentoran beat Coleraine 3-0 to retain hope of finishing second in the table.

Linfield occupy the runner-up position but the Glens trail their Belfast ‘Big Two’ rivals by three points going into next Saturday’s final round of fixtures and boast a superior goal difference.

Linfield are away to Cliftonville next weekend, with Glentoran away to Crusaders as both sides chase the second place which would guarantee European football and avoid the end-of-season play-offs.

Terry Devlin gave Rodney McAree’s side a second-minute lead and Niall McGinn then netted twice as the hosts ran out comfortable victors at the Oval.

The game was marred by an injury to Coleraine defender Adam Mullan, who received treatment on the pitch for 10 minutes in the second half before being stretchered off.

In the day’s other ‘top six’ encounter, Paul Heatley of Crusaders scored twice, including a late leveller, as Declan O’Hara’s first game in temporary charge of Cliftonville ended in a 3-3 draw at Solitude.

In the bottom half of the table, Newry City surely ensured the preservation of their Premiership status with that draw at home to Irish Cup finalists Ballymena United.

Darren Mullen’s team sit three points above 11th-placed Dungannon but crucially enjoy a far superior goal difference to Dean Shiels’ charges.

Seventh-placed Glenavon were 3-1 winners at Carrick Rangers.

Dungannon avoid the drop

Portadown’s three-year stay in the Premiership ended as they tasted defeat in a topsy-turvy encounter at Stangmore Park.

EthanMcGee nodded home from Jordan Jenkins’ corner to make it 1-0 at half-time but after the break Paul McElroy tapped in from a yard out to restore parity.

Five minutes later, Jenkins latched onto a long ball, before outpacing everyone in midfield, leaving him one-on-one with Jethren Barr and firing into the bottom corner.

McElroy grabbed his second midway through the second half when his close-range strike crashed off the bar, hitting the shoulders of Declan Dunne in it path into the back of the net.

The winner came when Corey Smith’s skilful play down the wing was followed up by an inch-perfect pass by the youngster which Michael O’Connor steered into the net from close range.

Glens see off Coleraine

Fans were barely in their seats at the Oval when midfielder Devlin opened the scoring after just a minute and 13 seconds, nipping in front of his marker to head McGinn’s cross from close range following a quickly taken corner.

McGinn scored the first of his double on the half hour after a sweeping Glentoran move.

Conor McMenamin’s initial effort struck the woodwork but his fellow Northern Ireland international was on hand to control before firing past Gareth Deane from just inside the box.

Ten minutes later he scored his second and Glentoran’s third. Devlin did well to dispossess Coleraine defender Kieran Farren on the edge of the penalty area before squaring for McGinn to side-foot home from 18 yards.

Coleraine did have their chances, Matthew Shevlin and Jack O’Mahony testing Aaron McCarey from distance and Andrew Scott curling a right foot effort against the post from the edge of the penalty area, but their barren form in front of goal continues.

Late Heatley strike earns draw

Paul Heatley scored in stoppage time to rescue a point for Crusaders in an enthralling 3-3 draw at Solitude as both sides continue their pursuit of a high league placing which may ensure a home semi-final in the European play-offs.

Heatley headed in from Jarlath O’Rourke’s cross after just 37 seconds but Hale put the finishing touch to Joe Gormley’s cross to equalise for the Reds.

Ronan Hale smashed into an empty net after Jonny Tuffey could only parry Gormley’s initial effort but O’Rourke then produced a wonder strike from 25 yards into Nathan Gartside;s top corner.

Gormley looked to have secured all three points after finding Tuffey’s top corner with a curling effort, only for Heatley to pounce quickest in stoppage time in a goalmouth scramble to earn a draw for the Crues.

Newry secure vital point

At Newry, Ryan Waide’s powerful downward header from Andy McGrory’s cross beat keeper Steven Maguire at his near post to put Ballymena in front.

Ballymena were thankful to a fantastic double save from Jordan Williamson to preserve their lead, firstly keeping out a header from a free kick and then somehow recovering to block Donal Scullion’s follow-up effort on the line.

Williamson was again involved as he back-pedalled to tip over Darren King’s header from a Dale Montgomery free kick.

But the home side grabbed a deserved equaliser three minutes before the interval when Daniel Hughes’ through ball split the Ballymena defence and as keeper Jordan Williamson advanced from his goal, James Teelan showed great presence of mind to loft the ball over him from 35 yards.

Ballymena regained the lead on 64 minutes when Mikey Place cut the ball back from the bye-line for the in-rushing Waide to sweep home.

But the lead lasted just three minutes as Donal Scullion bustled his way into the Ballymena penalty area before forcing home a shot.

Glenavon extend unbeaten run

Glenavon extend their unbeaten run to nine games thanks to their 3-1 win on their travels to Carrick Rangers.

Andrew Doyle’s first half strike, a 19th league goal for Matthew Fitzpatrick and a late Cohen Henderson 50-yard strike was the difference between the two sides with Gary Hamilton’s men claiming all three points.

The deadlock was broken on 32 minutes as Doyle, who had hit the crossbar with a header 10 minutes prior, struck right-footed from just outside the box low and hard into the bottom left-hand corner with a superb effort.

Four minutes into the second half it was Fitzpatrick who scored his 19th league goal of the season after Ross Glendinning could only parry Conor McCloskey’s fierce strike into the path of the Lurgan Blues striker.

Carrick pulled one back on 62 minutes as Nedas Maciulaitis looked to have attempted to cross from the right hand side, but the ball instead sailed over Rory Brown in the Glenavon goal and into the top corner.

The visitors sealed all three points with the last kick of the game as substitute Henderson shot from the half-way line with an open goal to aim at, as Ross Glendinning was sent up to try and rescue a point for the hosts.