The Sports Direct Premiership delivered yet again with another riveting and action packed round of games that could well come to have a major impact on the shakedown at the end of the season.

Dungannon Swifts recorded undoubtedly the result of the weekend with a 2-1 victory over leaders Linfield at Windsor Park.

Like the majority of games on Saturday, it was scoreless at the break and when Matthew Clarke edged the Blues in front early in the second half with a first time left-foot effort it looked like another routine home victory was on the cards for David Healy’s side.

However the Swifts had other ideas and duly levelled just after the hour – not long after Kyle McClean had failed to convert from the spot – when Gael Bigirimana tucked the ball home from close range into the bottom left corner.

Then, with ten minutes remaining, the visitors snatched the points through Dean Curry’s header after Kealan Dillon had whipped a free-kick into the box.

On Friday evening Larne had hit three goals without reply past Newry City at Inver Park to reduce the gap at the top to just a single point.

Chris Gallagher opened the scoring for his new club on 17 minutes with a terrific half volley from the edge of the box, with Tomas Cosgrove doubling the home advantage on 52 minutes from close range before Andy Ryan converted from the spot with just over a quarter-of-an-hour remaining.

Third placed Cliftonville also picked up three points on Friday night with a last gasp defeat of Carrick Rangers at the Loughview Leisure Arena.

The only goal of the game came as late as the 94th minute when Odhran Casey got his head to Sean Stewart’s free-kick to direct the ball past Ross Glendinning.

Indeed, late winners proved to be something of a theme over the weekend.

At the Coleraine Showgrounds Jamie McGonigle hit the only goal of the game on 89 minutes as the Bannsiders ended their long losing streak with victory over Glenavon with a curling right-foot effort past Gareth Deane after outsprinting the visiting defence.

And at around the same time at Seaview Bobby Burns was doing similar for Glentoran to hand them the win by the odd goal in three over Crusaders.

David Fisher had fired the Glens into a tenth minute lead with a strong finish from Aidan Wilson’s throw-in which was how it stayed until nine minutes from time when Stewart Nixon levelled for the Crues from a Jordan Forsythe cross.

But, right at the end of normal time, Burns ran onto Jay Donnelly’s through ball to touch it past Jonny Tuffey ad fire it into the empty net.

Meanwhile, in Ballymena, Loughgall defeated Jim Ervin’s Sky Blues for the third time this season with the only goal of the game coming midway through the second half courtesy of Nathaniel Ferris’ header from Pablo Andrade’s cross.