Stephen Baxter boost in final Crusaders home league game plus big wins for Ballymena United and Dungannon Swifts

Baxter – currently the world’s longest-serving manager at a single club – is set to bring the curtain down on almost two decades as Crues boss come the close of the current campaign.

European qualification may yet extend Baxter’s stay in the Crusaders dug-out and his players produced a 2-1 success over Cliftonville last night to offer a boost towards that summer ambition in the fight for fourth place across the Sports Direct Premiership table.

It was a fitting way for Baxter to signal the final whistle on his domestic duties at home as long-serving Jordan Forsythe and January arrival Stewart Nixon each found the net.

Nixon grabbed the decisive goal past the hour mark by converting off Jordan Owens’ header from a Jay Boyd pass.

It put the Crues back on top after Joe Gormley left it level by winning back possession and producing a composed finish.

Forsythe had kicked off the scoring with a first-half finish inside the packed penalty area to cap a dangerous delivery by Ben Kennedy.

Nixon hit the crossbar and proved a threat all night – with Nathan Gartside producing stops between the Cliftonville posts to deny Owens and Boyd.

Jonny Tuffey was also alert as the Crues goalkeeper stopped Ben Wilson off a point-blank save and also raced out to disrupt the Cliftonville striker in front of goal plus frustrated Stephen Mallon.

Also Tomas Galvin’s goal double over Loughgall has left Dungannon Swifts three points off seventh spot in the battle for the European play-offs entering the final two fixtures.

Galvin scored a second-half brace in quick succession with goals on 54 and 56 minutes – the first after Kealan Dillon was denied at close range, the second alert off a corner-kick.

Loughgall, safe in a first season back at senior level, had chances for Ben Murdock, Ryan Waide and Andrew Hoey.

Luke Cartwright was on hand to block a Leo Alves effort and Gael Bigiramana fired wide during the Swifts’ attacking threat.

Galvin almost opened his account when an effort took a deflection to trouble Loughgall’s Berratt Turker before rolling wide.

Plus Jim Ervin marked his first season of management by protecting Ballymena United from automatic relegation thanks to Calvin McCurry’s early effort against Glenavon.

The goal on nine minutes proved key on a night which featured a red card apiece and penalty save by Ballymena’s Sean O’Neill.

McCurry fired home off good work by Fraser Taylor and Daithi McCallion to hand Ballymena a boost.

Late drama featured red for Glenavon’s Jack Malone to make it 10 men apiece after Scot Whiteside was earlier dismissed for handball – with O’Neill on hand to save the subsequent spot-kick by Peter Campbell.

​Glenavon carved out openings without success for Len O’Sullivan, James Doona, Stephen Teggart and Campbell. Ballymena had an opportunity to increase the advantage when Danny Wallace almost scored an own goal then McCurry failed to capitalise.