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Coleraine also moved up a position in the Irish Premiership table as a 2-0 win over Newry City took Oran Kearney’s men into third.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nIn the basement battle between two sides that were seeking their first points of the campaign, Dungannon Swifts beat Portadown 2-0 at Stangmore Park with Rhyss Campbell scoring after just 21 seconds. <\/span><\/p>\nFriday night’s fourth top-flight fixture was the East Antrim derby, with visitors Larne beating Carrick Rangers 1-0.<\/span><\/p>\nTiernan Lynch’s side remain fifth in the table, level on 16 points with Cliftonville who were overtaken by the Crues and the Bannsiders on a weekend when they are not playing in the league.<\/span><\/p>\nCrues control for hosts at Seaview<\/h3>\n Crusaders were in control throughout against Ballymena and were more than worthy of their three-goal winning margin.<\/span><\/p>\nStephen Baxter’s men opened the scoring on 29 minutes when Adam Lecky laid the ball off for Philip Lowry’s close-range strike to give the midfielder his fifth of the campaign so far.<\/span><\/p>\nThe home side didn’t have to wait long for their second as a great nod on by man-of-the-match Lecky found Jarlath O’Rourke, whose powerful left-foot strike doubled the lead. <\/span><\/p>\nThe third came 82 minutes in after Ross Clarke’s corner found Jordan Forsythe, with his header from six yards out proving too strong for Sean O’Neill. <\/span><\/p>\nIt could – and should – have been more as the hosts created chance after chance, only to be denied by poor finishing, the woodwork and some fine goalkeeping from O’Neill. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/span><\/span>Watch: Lynch and Jarvis seal victory against Newry City<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSecond-half goals secure win for Coleraine <\/h3>\n After a scoreless opening 45 minutes at the Coleraine Showgrounds, the home side struck twice in four second-half minutes to kill the game as a contest and consign their opponents to a fifth league defeat of the campaign.<\/span><\/p>\nThe opening goal arrived in the 54th minute and was a first for midfielder Lee Lynch since his summer arrival from Larne.<\/span><\/p>\nBreaking the Newry City offside trap by running from deep, Lynch controlled a fine Josh Carson pass before firing left-footed high into the net past a stranded Newry City keeper Steven Maguire.<\/span><\/p>\nHis former Larne team-mate Dean Jarvis then got in on the act, scoring his first goal since moving from Inver Park just four minutes later.<\/span><\/p>\nThe left-back was in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball over the line from close range to give the home side some breathing space.<\/span><\/p>\nAnd they needed it, too, with Newry City, especially in the opening 45 minutes, proving dangerous on the break.<\/span><\/p>\nLorcan Forde and James Teelan went close for the Championship winners in the first half but they had no answer to Coleraine after the break, with Oran Kearney’s men running out deserved winners on the night.<\/span><\/p>\n