Early stages of this game and the first thing to note is that Levi Ives, normally a left back, is deputising for regular right-back Lyndon Kane, missing today because of suspension.

Will that upset the dynamic of a defence which has kept a clean sheet in each of its last two games?

Jack Malone gets us underway on a dry, early spring day in Lurgan.

Victory for the home side would see them draw level on points with their opponents while an away win would see the Bannsiders open up a six point gap on the Lurgan Blues.

Should be an interesting afternoon...

Referee Declan Hassan whistles to get us going in Mid-Ulster.

Referee Michael McKenna's whistle starts the action at Stangmore Park.

Both of this season’s previous fixtures have ended in 1-0 wins for the Tyrone side – can they chalk up a hat-trick of victories today?

Glentoran boss Declan Devine believes the BetMcLean Cup decider will see both sides exhibit an attacking philosophy.

"I expect them [Cliftonville] to bring a lot of quality and a really high level of goal threat. I think it will be an entertaining game – I don't think either team sets up defensively, both teams will have a right go.

"The club has been starved of success for a long time. The last time they won a cup final at Windsor Park here was during Covid and there were very limited supporters here.

"The County Antrim Shield final was at Seaview, and with the greatest of respect to Seaview, you can only get so many fans in there. We want the supporters to get behind us as they have done all season and it would be a fantastic achievement for us to send them home happy."

Image source, Presseye

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell was named as the Northern Ireland Football Writers' manager of the month for February after his side won each of the four matches they played during the second month of the year.

The Crues beat Limavady United in the last 16 of the Irish Cup, before defeating Larne, Ballymena United and Glenavon in Irish Premiership games.

Caddell, in his first season in charge of the north Belfast club, also won the monthly managerial prize in October 2024.

"It's an honour to win this prize, once again," said Caddell.

"It's been a strange season in some ways, because we've had great runs of form and then periods where we have struggled for a result.

"Thankfully, we've performed well in the league in recent weeks. Hopefully, we can kick on from here and finish as high up the table as possible."

Image source, Pacemaker

Listen to build-up, match commentary and reaction from this afternoon's Irish Premiership games on BBC Radio Foyle and BBC Sounds

Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton acknowledges the result is the only thing that matters in Sunday's BetMcLean Cup final against Glentoran, with the means of achieving the desired outcome much less significant.

The 52-times capped Northern Ireland international aims to guide his side to a second trophy success of his tenure after the Reds beat Linfield to lift the Irish Cup at Windsor Park 10 months ago.

"Sometimes it's not about how you win it, it's just about winning it," Magilton told BBC Sport NI.

"Declan [Devine, Glentoran manager] will be desperate to bring more silverware to the Oval and I'm desperate to bring more silverware to Solitude and to our fans who have been magnificent this season.

"The final comes and goes so quickly in the blink of an eye and it's about focus, a real focus of attention on our opponents, who are going to provide really tough opposition, and of course on ourselves, how we are going to win."

Image source, Inpho

Glentoran manager Declan Devine says he wants to secure more of the silverware that the club craves when his side faces Cliftonville in the BetMcLean Cup final at Windsor Park on Sunday.

The Glens ended a five-year wait for a trophy success when they defeated Larne in the County Antrim Shield final in January.

"It would mean everything, you set out at the beginning of the season, you want to win silverware. We're fortunate to have the CAS in our cabinet but here you're going into an incredible day out," Devine told BBC Sport NI.

"We know we haven't had the success in recent years that a club of Glentoran's size demands. We've only made the final – we have to make sure that we walk out with the trophy.

"Two huge clubs, two big supports coming together for a huge occasion in the National Stadium. It'll be a fantastic occasion but you want to be coming out with a positive result at the end of it."

Image source, Inpho

After a dominant post-Covid spell in which Ballymena went unbeaten in 12 league games against Dungannon, it’s the Swifts who hold the upper hand in more recent times, winning the last five meetings between the sides.

Rodney McAree makes one enforced change as midfielder James Knowles is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards - he is replaced by Leo Alves.

Ballymena boss Jim Ervin makes two alterations from the midweek league defeat at Glentoran.

Homegrown central defender Jordan McMullan starts for the first time this season along with midfielder James Hood, with Caolan Loughran and Aaron Jarvis dropping to the bench.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Scott, King, Curry, Wallace, Glenny, Bigirimana, Dillon, Alves, McGovern, Mitchell.

Subs: Henderson, Marron, Boyd, Galvin, Maguire, Hutchinson, Bermingham.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Barr, McMullan, O'Donnell, McMullan, Lafferty, Hood, McEleney, Corbally, McCurry, Edogun.

Subs: Johnston, Jarvis, Moore, Loughran, Devine, Hawe, Idehen.

Image source, BBC Sport

This year's BetMcLean Cup final has delivered a blockbuster showdown between Cliftonville and Glentoran, with the Belfast clubs set to lock horns in front of an almost capacity crowd at Windsor Park on Sunday.

The decider has become an annual highlight of the domestic football calendar in Northern Ireland and is again set to be a colourful occasion, with hopefully an exciting game to live up to its pre-match billing.

Glentoran have already lifted the County Antrim Shield in January, thereby securing a first trophy success since the club won the 2020 Irish Cup and a first under the stewardship of manager Declan Devine.

Jim Magilton collected his first silverware as Cliftonville boss when the Solitude team ended their 45-year wait for an Irish Cup win in May last year.

BBC Sport NI looks ahead to a final that promises much and assesses who might pick up the silverware come the final whistle in this weekend's showpiece.

Read BBC Sport NI's preview of the big game here.

Image source, Pacemaker

It's ninth against eighth at Mournview Park but it's the number six that's uppermost in most people's minds this afternoon.

That's because both teams have their eyes set on a top half finish approaching the business end of the season.

Victory for either this afternoon would enhance those claims, something neither side was able to manage in their only other meeting this season - a dramatic 3-3 draw here back in November.

Home manager Paddy McLaughlin makes just one change to the team which comfortably saw off the challenge of Loughgall in midweek as Christopher Atherton drops to the bench and is replaced by Davy McDaid, who returns after suspension.

Opposite number Dean Shiels also makes the minimum alteration to the team which defeated Portadown a week ago as captain Lyndon Kane sits this one after picking up five bookings and is replaced by Dean Jarvis, himself back after a two-game suspension.

Glenavon: Ryan, Toure, O'Sullivan, Snoddy, Malone, McDaid, Campbell, Quinn, McKeown (c), Murphy, O'Connor.

Subs: Byrne, Marshall, Lynch, Atherton, Prendergast, McGovern, Wilson.

Coleraine: Brown, Jarvis, Boyle, Shevlin, Murray, Spence, McClelland, Glackin (c), Ives, Doherty, Dunne.

Subs: Little, Campbell, Scott, Burns, Devine, Smith, McManus.

Image source, bb

Manager Dean Smith's departure from Loughgall has been called a case of "unfair dismissal".

A statement posted by the club on X said they had "parted company with manager Dean Smith by mutual consent" on Thursday evening.

However, this was then contested.

A statement from JWB Consultancy said: "We represent Mr Dean Smith. Our client has not agreed to terminate his contract.

"The statement issued [on Thursday] by Loughgall FC is factually and legally incorrect and amounts to unfair dismissal. There will be no further comment as this is now a live legal matter."

The Villagers are bottom of the league and 12 points adrift of 11th-placed Carrick Rangers.

Smith has been serving a 15-game ban for breaches of the Irish Football Association's disciplinary code following Loughgall's 2-1 defeat to Glentoran in January.

He was given a 10-match ban for breaching article 23.1 which involves "offending the dignity of a person or group of persons through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words or actions concerning race, colour, language, religion, sectarianism".

A further five-game suspension was imposed under article 14.1 which deals with players or officials "reported for unsporting conduct towards a match official".

Smith led Loughgall to promotion to the top flight in the 2022-23 campaign and they finished ninth in the Premiership with 13 wins last season.

They have, however, struggled throughout this campaign.

The side have not won a league game since November and were knocked out of the Irish Cup by Championship side Ards last weekend.

When contacted by BBC Sport NI on Friday morning, a Loughgall FC spokesperson said that the club did not wish to make any further comment at this time.

Image source, Inpho

Linfield manager David Healy says it is "another game ticked off" after a 2-0 victory at Crusaders saw the Blues edge closer to winning the Premiership title.

Teenager Matthew Orr headed the visitors in front at Seaview on 72 minutes and Matthew Fitzpatrick drilled home to double the advantage with six minutes remaining.

It stretched Linfield's lead at the top to 19 points with seven games remaining for the Windsor Park team.

"It's another game ticked off - it's a big win," said Healy.

"Performance wise, I thought we were good, certainly in the second half and we were deserved winners.

"We created some good opportunities and good moments in the game."

Image source, Pacemaker

Listen to build-up, match commentary and reaction from this afternoon's Irish Premiership games on BBC Radio Foyle and BBC Sounds

Watch the best of the action from Friday night's game at Seaview as second-half goals from Matthew Orr and Matthew Fitzpatrick give Linfield a 2-0 win over Crusaders at Seaview.

Read the match report here.

Managerless Loughgall welcome Larne to Lakeview Park, with both sides desperate to recover from midweek setbacks.

The hosts, navigating the turbulent waters following Dean Smith's sudden departure, make three changes after Tuesday's disappointing 2-0 defeat to Glenavon.

Skipper Ben Murdock returns to marshal the defence while Matthew O'Brien and Conor McCloskey add experience in place of Pablo Andrade, Jordan Gibson and Benji Magee – the latter ineligible against his parent club.

Gary Haveron's Inver Reds, still nursing wounds from their stoppage-time loss to Carrick Rangers, freshen their approach with Jordan McEneff and Olatunde Bayode called upon to replace the influential duo of Mark Randall and Andy Ryan.

Loughgall: Gartside, Murdock, Norton, O’Brien, Balde, Francis, Carroll, Towe, McCloskey, McCaffrey, McLaughlin.

Subs: Turker, Waide, McMenemy, Kelly, Guterres, Woolsey.

Larne: Ferguson, Want, Donnelly, O’Neill, O’Connor, S. Graham, McEneff, Nolan, Cosgrove, Gallagher, Bayode.

Subs: D. Graham, McKendry, Panayiotou, Brown, Devlin, Wallace, Simpson.

Image source, BBC Sport

The BetMcLean Cup final may be taking centre stage this weekend in the Northern Ireland domestic footballing calendar but before tomorrow's showpiece decider at Windsor Park we have a tasty quadruple bill of Irish Premiership matches to look forward to this afternoon.

Linfield continued their march towards regaining the league title with a 2-0 win over Crusaders on Friday night but there's still plenty to play for for the other teams in the top flight

Larne will try to get back to winning ways when they travel to face managerless Loughgall at Lakeview Park while Coleraine will aim to make it three straight league wins when they play Glenavon at Mourneview Park.

Portadown hope to bounce back from back-to-back Premiership losses when they take on Carrick Rangers.

Dungannon Swifts continue their shot at securing a top-six berth as they are at home to Ballymena United in the day's other fixture.

We'll have the usual heady mix of live audio courtesy of Sportsound, text updates and in-play clips, plus a report and highlights of all four games for you to enjoy.

Stay with us, you won't miss a thing.