Coleraine moved to the top of the table after what turned out to be quite a night in the Danske Bank Premiership with Cliftonville, Crusaders and Glentoran also claiming the three points on offer.

The Bannsiders will grab all the headlines thanks largely to Matthew Shevlin’s hat-trick – the first of the season – which saw Oran Kearney’s men put Carrick Rangers to the sword at the Loughview Leisure Arena.

Shevlin opened the scoring with just over a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock when he was quickest to react when the ball was played back in after Ross Glendinning had saved a Lee Lynch effort. He made doubled up just before the break, rounding Glendinning from an Evan McLaughlin through ball.

David Cushley pulled one back for Carrick in first half stoppage time, but Shevlin restored Coleraine’s two-goal advantage early in the second half from close range. Jamie Glackin added a fourth towards the end, with former Coleraine striker Curtis Allen finding the net in added time for the home side to complete the scoring.

Crusaders came from behind with ten men to defeat Portadown at Seaview.

The Ports, still looking their first points of the season, led at the break thanks to Jordan Jenkins’ spot-kick just after the half-hour mark awarded after he had been brought down by Josh Robinson – which also earned the Crues defender an early bath.

However, Philip Lowry levelled for Stephen Baxter’s side midway through the second half following a period of dominance before substitute Jonny McMurray hit the winner in off the underside of the bar with four minutes remaining.

Glentoran also needed a late goal to get the better of Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park.

Jay Donnelly grabbed what proved to be the only goal of the game on 86 minutes, sending Declan Dunne the wrong way from the spot after he had been upended in the box.

Meanwhile, Cliftonville won by the odd goal in three away to Ballymena United.

Ryan Curran kicked the scoring off on 18 minutes with a back heel past Sean O’Neill from Luke Turner’s lay-off. It was a lead they held until nine minutes from the break when Jack Henderson levelled for the Sky Blues with a well-executed left-foot first time effort beyond Nathan Gartside.

But Turner knocked home what turned out to be the winner midway through the second half after the home defence had failed to clear their lines.