Eetu Vertainen bagged four goals for Linfield as the Blues stretched their lead at the top of the table, while Cliftonville are back in second spot. There were wins also for Crusaders and Portadown but it ended all square in Ballymena.

The Finnish U21 striker broke his scoring duck with two goals in each half at home to Dungannon Swifts, either side of a Chris McKee effort just before the break.

The 22-year-old opened the scoring after 12 minutes when he was played through by McKee to beat Dwayne Nelson into the bottom corner, before making it 2-0 just before the half-hour mark.

Vertainen turned provider on 35 minutes to tee up McKee to get his own name on the scoresheet from close range but he had to wait until the 68th minute to grab his hat-trick goal before rounding off the scoring just four minutes later.

Glentoran, who had started the morning in second, could only earn a point from their trip to face Ballymena United. Both goals came in the second half with Ryan Waide opening the scoring for the Sky Blues, just six minutes ahead of Jay Donnelly's leveller from the spot.

Cliftonville leapfrogged the Glens thanks to a goal in each half from Paul O'Neill and Joe Gormley away to Glenavon.

The Reds moved in front through O'Neill on 26 minutes who was quickest to react to a throw-in to turn the ball into the net, with Gormley adding a second on 50 with a back post header from Jamie McDonagh's cross.

Crusaders left it late to defeat Warrenpoint Town 2-1 at Seaview with all three goals coming in the final ten minutes. Brandon Doyle opened the scoring on 81 minutes, but Ray O'Sullivan levelled for 'Point with a header five minutes after that ... before Philip Lowry popped up with what proved to be the winner right at the end of normal time.

And there was a big win for Portadown as they defeated Coleraine 2-0 at Shamrock Park.

Both goals came midway through the second half. The Ports went in front on 64 minutes when, on the counter attack, Adam Salley beat the offside trap to slot home before, just five minutes after that, Harry Anderson thumped home number two with a back post header after getting on the end of Jamal Dupree's cross.

The win moves the Ports to within a point of 10th placed Carrick Rangers and only four adrift of Dungannon Swifts in the battle to avoid being dragged into a play-off spot.