Ballymena United's Ben Kennedy gets us underway at the Showgrounds in front of a large and vociferous crowd,

Ballymena United are aiming to complete a hat-trick of league wins over Coleraine this evening, having won the last two league meetings.

Interestingly, both those games at the Warden Street Showgrounds finished 3-1 to the Braid side.

Noah Stewart scored twice in both victories while the Bannsiders had a man sent off in the games - Conor McKendy and Mathew Shevlin.

Will that pattern continue this evening or will the hosts record a first league win over United since August last year...?

Larne manager Tiernan Lynch hailed his players in "flying the flag" for the entire Irish League as they moved to the brink of a historic qualification for the group stages of the Uefa Conference League.

On a dramatic night at Inver Park, Larne beat Kosovan champions Ballkani in a penalty shootout to set up a play-off tie with Gibraltar club Lincoln Red Imps, with the first leg taking place in Faro next week.

Thursday's triumph means Larne are already guaranteed in the region of £850,000 but they would most likely triple that if they become the first Irish League club to reach the group stage of a European club competition.

"This league is better than some people give it credit for," said Lynch following his side's shootout win, after Ballkani's 1-0 win on the night had ensured extra-time and then penalties.

"To go into extra-time and then penalties in such a high tempo game was an incredible feat for them."

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Larne are through to the Uefa Conference League play-off round after they beat Kosovan side Ballkani 4-1 on penalties at Inver Park.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Ballkani levelled the tie on the stroke of half time through Walid Hamidi's penalty.

Hamidi coolly dispatched his spot kick after he was fouled by Larne captain Cian Bolger.

Both sides had chances in normal time and extra-time with Rohan Ferguson and Enea Kolici forced into a number of saves.

Ferguson was then the hero in the shootout, saving two penalties from Hamidi and Ajazaj Engjell.

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Larne first-team coach Gary Haveron gives his prediction on tonight's game.

This is a huge derby game with two much-changed sides from last season both looking to register their first win of the campaign after an opening day draw and defeat respectively.

They may have to wait a little longer for a victory as I believe it’ll be honours even.

Prediction: 1-1

- If Ballymena win, it will be the first time they have recorded three successive league victories over Coleraine since April 2006

- In their last five league visits to the Coleraine Showgrounds, Ballymena have lost four and drawn one

- Ballymena have not won away at Coleraine in the Premiership since a 1-0 success in October 2020, with Kofi Balmer getting the only goal of the game.

- The last scoreless Premiership draw between the teams at the Coleraine Showgrounds was back in March 1998.

- In the three Premiership contests between the clubs last term a total of 25 players were booked, 16 from Ballymena and nine from Coleraine.

Ballymena were defeated 2-0 by Linfield in the Premiership opener with a second-half goal from Chris McKee and Chris Shields' penalty securing victory for the visitors at the Showgrounds.

The Blues dominated after the break as they began their bid to improve on their runners-up positions in both of the last two seasons, having won the league in five of the six previous seasons.

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Coleraine’s new professional era began with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Dungannon at Stangmore Park last weekend.

Kealan Dillon's stunning strike had Dungannon 1-0 ahead at the break but Matthew Shevlin levelled with nine minutes remaining.

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Ballymena midfielder Josh Carson insists there is "no bad blood" between him and his former club Coleraine ahead of tonight's meeting between the sides.

Carson left the Bannsiders earlier this summer after seven years with the club,

"There’s no bad blood between me and Coleraine and I got on with the fans well," he told BBC Sport NI

"I’m a Ballymena player now so I’ll give 110% for the shirt and I’ll do all I can for Ballymena to win the game. I have a lot of friends up in Coleraine, but you put that aside when it comes to Friday night."

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Coleraine boss Dean Shiels says that his first home game in charge of the Bannsiders will be an "emotional day".

"We’re really looking forward to playing at home and there is no better time to do that than a derby," Shiels told BBC Sport NI.

"It will be an emotional day for me and my family due to the strong connection I have to the club."

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It might only be the second week of the season but already we have our first big derby as Coleraine host old rivals Ballymena United in the imaginatively titled 'A26 derby.'

The Bannsiders scored a late equaliser in an opening day draw away at Dungannon Swifts six days ago while the Braidmen went down 2-0 at home to Linfield.

Both clubs underwent massive changes in personnel during the summer with a number of high profile players making the switch, not least former Coleraine club captain Stephen O'Donnell.

One of the bright spots for Jim Ervin's side last year, midfielder Dylan Boyle, made the switch in the opposite direction.

Both teams show two changes from their opening day games with defender Graham Kelly and striker Jamie McGonigle dropping out of the Coleraine team to be replaced by Dean Jarvis and Ciaron Harkin.

For Ballymena, Alexander Gawne and Michael Place make way for Kym Nelson and Jonathan McMurray in attack.

Interestingly, midfielder Josh Carson is named in the visitors' starting line-up after being the subject of much speculation regarding a three-match ban following a tackle in the defeat to Linfield.

His suspension is due to kick in on Monday.

Coleraine: Brown, Kane (c), D. Jarvis, Boyle, Stewart, Campbell, J. Scott, Shevlin, McClelland, Harkin, Glackin.

Subs: Little, Kelly, Spence, Carse, McLaughlin, McClintock, Burns.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Nelson, Lafferty, Rocks, A. Jarvis, Kennedy, O'Donnell, McCurry, Loughran, Mcmurray, Carson.

Subs: Johnston, Gawne, Place, Barr, Tennant, Stewart, Hood.

Referee: Keith Kennedy.

Image source, BBC Sport

We've got a tasty derby tussle on the menu tonight and one with an added sprinkle of spice.

That's because Ballymena now have four players in their ranks who were plying their trade with the Bannsiders last season.

Aaron Jarvis, Jack O'Mahony, Stephen O'Donnell and Josh Carson have made the move down the A26 to join a new-look Sky Blues side.

They make a quick return to the Showgrounds and the quartet might not receive the warmest of receptions from former team-mates and Coleraine fans.

Ballymena started the campaign with a 2-0 home defeat by Linfield on Saturday while the Bannsiders drew 1-1 at Dungannon Swifts.

It promises to be a fiesty derby battle and you can watch the action unfold here along with text commentary and in-play clips.

Thanks for joining us.

Image source, Press Eye