Steven McCullough works a neat one-two with James Teelan down the left for the Ports and whips the ball into the near post, but Mark Haughey watches it all the way and heads clear before any Portadown attackers can pounce.

Dean Shiels
Former Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts boss on BBC Sportsound

It has been an open game.

Crusaders have looked dangerous and have had two shots already.

Crusaders have made a bright start with Ross Clarke testing Mark Byrne from the edge of the box. A quick counter-attack was also snuffed out by the Glenavon keeper as he plucks Elliott Dunlop's teasing ball out of the air.

Reece Neale sends a trademark long throw deep into the box for Bangor, and Ben Arthurs gets the slightest flick across the six-yard line.

However, Ben Wylie reads it early and hooks the danger clear before anyone in black and yellow can pounce.

Referee Ross Dunlop gets the ball rolling at Shamrock Park.

A win for Niall Currie's men this afternoon would bring an end to a three-game losing streak, while the Seasiders know a second straight victory over the home side would nudge them up into fifth.

The visitors, attacking the Railway End, get us under way at Seaview.

George McCartney
Former Northern Ireland defender on BBC Radio Ulster

Bangor, the newly promoted side, might not have a player who scores 20/25 goals in Arthurs, but he will still get a good majority for you.

There are other players chipping in from midfield and wide areas and Bangor have a little bit more strength and depth.

Portadown manager Niall Currie makes two changes to the side beaten 3-0 by Larne, with Aaron McCarey returning in goal following his suspension and Steven McCullough restored to the starting XI.

Alex Moore and Ben Quinn are the pair who drop out after a difficult night for the Ports at Inver Park.

Bangor boss Lee Feeney also opts for two alterations following their 3-2 defeat by Ballymena United.

Robbie Garrett and Stephen McGuinness move to the bench, with Lewis Francis and Jay Boyd coming into the side for the visitors.

Portadown: McCarey, Isamala, Altintop, MacKinnon, Wilson, Chapman, Wyle, McCullough, Fyfe, Teelan, Thompson.

Subs: Moore, Rea, Ukek, Mayse, Minzamba, Annett, Quinn.

Bangor: Deane, Neale, Haughey, Harrison, Hassin, Mulvenna, Arthurs, Cushnie, Lynch, Francis, Boyd.

Subs: Grogan, Owens, Garrett, Morgan, McGuinness, Burns, Mitchell.

Image source, BBC Sport

George McCartney
Former Northern Ireland defender on BBC Radio Ulster

Crusaders are a young inexperienced team and Declan Caddell is trying to play a different way to Stephen Baxter did.

This is going to be a tough challenge for both teams today.

Dean Shiels
Former Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts boss on BBC Sportsound

Michael O'Connor had great belief coming into it [the Glenavon job].

Obviously with the situation he inherited, it was going to be a tough task.

He has a huge belief that he can keep them up and he has got a good bounce with two wins in four.

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Both sides are coming off of much needed wins last week and each manager makes just a single change from those games.

For Crusaders, Brendan Hamilton comes in for Lewis Barr while, for the away side, Corey Smith replaces Paul McGovern who is on international duty with Northern Ireland Under-19s.

Crusaders: Tuffey, Forsythe, Hamilton, Brooks, Dunlop, O'Rourke (C), Williamson, Bryden, Od. McCart, Clarke, Anderson

Subs: Dibaga, Blaney, Thorndike, Easton, Forsythe, Nixon, Ol. McCart

Glenavon: Byrne, McMullan, Murphy, McKeown (C), Malone, McDaid, Campbell, McClelland, Bosakani, Smith, Quinn

Subs: Burns, Cartwright, O'Kane, Lomboto, Kee, O'Connor, Gough

Image source, BBC Sport

Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] chief executive Gerard Lawlor has hit out at what he believes is the over-reaction of those who have been celebrating the news that Belfast is to host the draw for the Euro 2028 qualifiers next year.

The draw is scheduled to take place at the ICC Belfast on 6 December 2026.

The Irish Football Association hailed the announcement on Wednesday night as "fantastic news", with the association's president Conrad Kirkwood adding that it was "a proud moment for the Irish FA and for everyone who loves football here in Northern Ireland".

The tournament will be hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland with no matches set to take place in Northern Ireland.

Casement Park, which has not been in operation since 2013, was originally listed as one of the stadiums to be considered when the UK and Republic of Ireland submitted their bid to host Euro 2028.

However, the west Belfast venue was withdrawn from the list of venues in September 2024 after the UK government said it would not be providing funding to redevelop the stadium in time for the tournament.

"I can't help but shake the sheer irony of hypocrisy to the Euro draw announcement," said Lawlor in a post on his X account, external, external.

"The same people who fell flat & failed when it actually mattered, missing a major opportunity and a once in a lifetime football legacy, are suddenly celebrating because they get to host a draw ceremony for an hour.

"Only here do we turn failure into fanfare this fast with a total lack of accountability. Unreal."

Image source, Press Eye

Coleraine striker Matthew Shevlin has been awarded the Irish Premiership's player of the month for October by the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association.

Shevlin scored four league goals in the month against Portadown and Linfield, while he also netted twice against former club Ballymena United.

By scoring a double against Ballymena, the 26-year-old reached the landmark of 100 goals for Coleraine.

It is the third time the striker has won the prestigious award.

"It's been a fantastic few weeks for me because I have been scoring goals and helping the team to win games, so this award is a nice way to top that off," Shevlin sad.

"I also scored my 100th goal for Coleraine during October, which was a nice moment. However, results are what matters."

Shevlin's goals have helped Ruaidhri Higgins' Bannsiders move to the top of the Irish Premiership table.

"We have experienced players in the dressing room who have won leagues at other clubs, and I think that will really help us in the second half of the season," Shevlin added.

"Personally, I'm desperate to be part of a club that wins a league title. I was part of a Linfield squad that won it, but I don't really count that as I didn't play too much.

"We just need to take every game as it comes."

Runner-up was Bangor defender Reece Neale, while Dungannon Swifts striker Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe was third.

Image source, Inpho

Bangor manager Lee Feeney said his side are "hurting" after Success Edogun's 94th minute goal secured all three points for Ballymena United at Clandeboye Park.

An own goal from Reece Neale and Matthew Clarke's strike gave Ballymena a 2-0 lead, but the Seasiders responded and netted through Ben Arthurs and Jay Boyd.

However, the goals weren't done there as, deep into additional time, Edogun converted Clarke's cross from close range.

"The boys are hurting in there and rightly so because they gave everything," Feeney told BBC Sport NI.

"I thought we could have gone on and won the game, and I think most people in the ground would have thought that.

"We know football isn't like that and sometimes be smart, and the cross came in, it should never have come in."

Edogun's goal is the second stoppage time winner that the Seasiders have been defeated by recently after conceding in the closing stages of their match against Carrick Rangers in the last round of Premiership fixtures.

Despite a tough couple of weeks, Bangor sit sixth in the table, ahead of the Sky Blues on goal difference.

"That's the disappointing thing, their three goals are so avoidable," Feeney continued.

"We have been defending well, but it is a sucker punch to concede again in the last minute."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Watch highlights as Success Edogun's late goal seals the three points for Ballymena against Bangor at Clandeboye Park.

Portadown manager Niall Currie said his side made it "too easy" for Larne during their 3-0 defeat at Inver Park.

After a goalless first half, Larne netted three times during six second-half minutes to secure the three points and move up to second.

The Ports are struggling with consistency this season and are now without a victory in their last three league games.

"We were very good in the first half, really good shape and a wonderful save from Ferguson to stop us," Currie told BBC Sport NI.

"When we went in at half-time happy and talked about staying disciplined and then there were five/ six minutes of madness.

"It was too easy in the end for Larne after putting on such a valiant display in the first half."

Mark Randall fired two free-kicks in quick succession into the top corner to give the home side the lead just after the break.

Tiarnan O'Connor then added a third, with Currie adding that the third goal that his side conceded disappointed him the most.

"They are wonderful free-kicks," Currie continued.

"Both are world class and as good as you will see in Irish League football.

"We left ourselves wide open for the third goal and that is what disappoints me the most."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Watch highlights as Larne score three goals in six second-half minutes to beat Portadown 3-0 at Inver Park.

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell said "everything clicked" for his side during their 2-1 victory over Carrick Rangers at Taylors Avenue.

Goals from Fraser Bryden and Ross Clarke put Crusaders ahead going into the final five minutes.

Paul Heatley did make it a one-goal game against his former club late on, but Crusaders defended resolutely to secure the three points.

"The last couple of weeks have been tough, and the performances haven't been where we want them to be but today was night and day," Caddell told BBC Sport NI.

"It was a complete domination of a football match and we scored two, maybe we should have scored a lot more.

"Everything clicked today. We have been wanting that full performance over 90 minutes and the boys delivered today."

The north Belfast side have struggled with consistency this season and sit in 11th place in the Premiership.

The result also puts to an end their run of three games without a victory.

"We showed a bit of hunger, that has something that has been missing the last two games," Caddell continued.

"To come up here, a really difficult place against a very experienced side, who will put you under pressure, they stood up as men today."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Watch highlights as Crusaders beat 10-man Carrick Rangers 2-1 at Taylors Avenue.

Glenavon manager Michael O'Connor said he is "over the moon" after the Lurgan Blues' 3-1 victory over Glentoran at Mourneview Park.

A first-half double from David McDaid put the Lurgan Blues in the driving seat at the break.

Paul McGovern would then make it 3-0 with Ryan Cooney's strike for Glentoran proving to be a consolation goal.

"I am over the moon," O'Connor told BBC Sport NI.

"To beat Glentoran is hard to do, and I thought today the boys showed everything I asked of them.

"They take the credit, and I am just here to help them out. I thought they defended for their lives at the end."

The victory is just the Lurgan Blues second of the season with both wins coming since O'Connor has became manager.

Basement side Glenavon face 11th-placed Crusaders next with O'Connor adding that it will be a "tough" match.

"It is going to be a tough one," O'Connor continued.

"If you look at it, it looks like a six pointer, but we will approach it the same as we approached the Glentoran game and try win it."

Image source, Pacemaker Press