Loughgall goalkeeper Nathan Gartside was less than convincing under that cross, but Andrew Mitchell is unable to capitalise as the ball bounces to him in the area.

That didn't take long! Harry Jewitt-White is cautioned for a late challenge on Rory Hale. Some foreshadowing of what is to come?

Ballymena United's Donal Rocks gets us underway on a rather grey afternoon on the north coast.

Let's hope the players on the pitch can add some festive sparkle to the occasion in front of a sell-out crowd.

Dungannon's Gael Bigirimana gets us underway at Stangmore Park.

Here we go at a sold-out Mourneview Park!

Who will gain the bragging rights of this festive Mid-Ulster derby?

Referee Ian McNabb blows his whistle to start the action at a boisterous Inver Park.

Recent history certainly isn’t on Carrick’s side in this fixture – they haven’t won any on their previous 15 league fixtures against their near neighbours, since a 1-0 success in March 2019, when both sides were plying their trade in the Championship.

Can Rangers snap that sequence today?

We are underway at a packed Seaview. The hosts are attacking the away fans in the Shore Road end.

Joel Cooper gets us underway for the visitors in today's festive Big Two derby at the Oval.

Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree was disappointed that his side conceded a "soft" goal in their 1-0 defeat by Larne at Stangmore Park.

Mark Randall capitalised on the Swifts' inability to clear the ball in the box to slide in and score the only goal of the game.

And McAree was frustrated that for the second game in a row they were edged out after Joel Cooper pounced on a defensive mistake last week to help Linfield beat the Swifts.

"We've lost two games now 1-0 and we've a great group of players and we've come on leaps and bounds but the two goals we've conceded is the reason why Linfield and Larne are where they are and will be because they don't concede goals like that, he told BBC Sport NI.

Read more of what the Swifts boss had to say after Monday's defeat by Larne at Stangmore here.

Image source, Presseye

Philip Major
Sportsound summariser

I think Crusaders' home form is a concern, Seaview used to be a fortress but Glenavon and Portadown have beat them here.

Both clubs will want to build some momentum and push up the table with a win today.

Larne boss Gary Haveron was delighted that his side produced a "dogged" display in their 1-0 against Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park.

Mark Randall scored the only goal of the game for the Inver Reds and Haveron was pleased that they were able to restrict the high-flying Swifts to few chances.

"It is tough to come down to Dungannon at the best of times, they're flying and Rodney McAree has them playing good football, "Haveron explained.

"We knew we had to come down here with a game plan. be dogged and come away with three points and that's what we've done."

Read more of what Larne head coach Gary Haveron had to say here.

Image source, Presseye

Watch highlights as Mark Randall's goal gave back-to-back Premiership champions Larne a 1-0 win over Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park on Monday.

Frozen Christmas dinners, secret Santa and the biggest game of the season - the festive period can be strange for footballers spending it away from home.

As professionalism grows in the Irish Premiership, so too has the number of players from outside of Northern Ireland coming into the league.

As well as dealing with Christmas away from home, players also have to prepare for the annual Boxing Day derby fixtures - the biggest round of fixtures in the Irish League.

BBC Sport NI caught up with four Glentoran players who will be celebrating the festivities in Northern Ireland.

Read more about this story here.

Image source, Pacemaker

Coleraine v Ballymena Utd, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster

With the announcement of Joel Cooper signing a pre-contract with the club and speculation about other possible new arrivals at Coleraine, it's an exciting time at the club.

I didn't really appreciate how big a game this was until I was involved as a player at Ballymena and while Ballymena are coming off a win, they're without Josh Carson and Ben Kennedy through suspension. Coleraine need to start winning if they have aspirations of making the top six so I'm going to say they'll go all out to win the game.

Prediction: 2-1

Crusaders v Cliftonville,15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster

The past few weeks have been tough for the Crues, they have been on a poor run of form, while Cliftonville are coming off the back of a disappointing defeat by Glentoran.

Again, a very tough one to call but Cliftonville need to get back on track so I'm going for them to win.

Prediction: 1-2

Dungannon Swifts v Loughgall,15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster

Dungannon and Loughgall are two teams who have worked very hard to get where they are but I just think that Swifts have got that wee bit more quality so I'm predicting that they will win.

Both managers will be looking for a response after defeats but Rodney [McAree] will still be pleased with how his team performed in the 1-0 defeats to Linfield and Larne. They were very, very competitive in both games.

Prediction: 2-0

Glenavon v Portadown, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster

Paddy McLaughlin got his first home win under his belt as Glenavon manager against Crusaders and has his side playing well but Portadown are flying at the moment and I can't see anything other than a win for Niall Currie's side.

Prediction: 1-2

Glentoran v Linfield, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster

Glentoran against Linfield at the Oval is always a special occasion and the Boxing Day Big Two encounter is, without doubt, one of the highlights of the season. I was fortunate to be involved in some of them as a player and a coach at Linfield.

Glentoran are in fantastic form and Linfield have lost all three games between the teams this season, which is unheard of. I think Linfield will go there and try to make a point and they won't lose this one.

Prediction: 2-2

Larne v Carrick Rangers,15:00 GMT, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster

You have to give Larne a lot of credit in that they beat Gent and then went on and defeated Dungannon on Monday night.

Now that their European adventure is over they can concentrate on trying to clinch that third league title in a row and qualifying for Europe again. I'm going for a Larne victory.

Prediction: 2-0

For Irish Premiership fans the traditional derby games on 26 December are almost as exciting as Christmas Day itself.

A rare matchday where all 12 teams are playing at the same time and with nearly all games sold out, it is truly a festive highlight for Irish League supporters.

Ahead of the big day, BBC Sport NI has compiled a preview on each of the six games.

Read previews of each of the fixtures here.

Image source, Inpho

It's the third 'A26 derby' of the season with the score standing at 2-0 in Coleraine's favour.

The Bannsiders triumphed 4-2 here at the start of the season and followed that up with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Warden Street in October.

Both teams come into the s encounter in indifferent form but a win today and recent results would be forgotten as quickly as yesterday's Christmas dinner.

Coleraine make three changes to the team which started in the 3-0 loss to Linfield on December 14 as Ciaron Harkin, Kyle Spence and Senan Devine drop to the bench.

In their place come leading scorer Matthew Shevlin, back after injury, central defender Cameron Stewart and midfielder Connor Murray.

Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin also makes three changes, although his are enforced.

Star forward Ben Kennedy and midfielder Josh Carson miss out after being sent off in the win at Loughgall while Andy Scott has accumulated five bookings and sits this one out.

They are replaced by frontmen Alexander Gawne and Ethan Devine and midfielder Oisin Devlin.

Coleraine: Brown, Kane (c), Jarvis, Boyle, Stewart, Campbell, Shevlin, Murray, McClelland, Glackin, Smith.

Subs: Little, Spence, Harkin, McLaughlin, McGonigle, McClintock, Devine.

Ballymena Utd: O'Neill (c), Lafferty, Rocks, Gawne, Jarvis, O'Donnell, McCurry, Brown, McCallion, Devine, Devlin.

Subs: Johnston, Moore, O'Mahony, Loughran, Hawe, Stewart, Hood.

Referee: Ben McMaster

Image source, BBC Sport

While other Premiership ‘derby’ rivals are meeting for the third time this season, a strange quirk of the fixture schedule – fuelled largely by Larne’s European commitments – means that these two east Antrim rivals are clashing for the first time in the current campaign.

The two sides' preparations for today could scarcely be more different as well. While Carrick were inactive last weekend, Larne's last outing was less than 72 hours ago, when Mark Randall's goal gave them a 1-0 win at Dungannon on Monday night.

Manager Gary Haveron sticks with the same XI which started that game.

Carrick boss Stephen Baxter makes three changes from the side which drew with Loughgall in their last outing.

Goalkeeper Ross Glendinning and midfielder Kyle Cherry return from suspension along with Josh Andrews. Ben McCauley, David Cushley and Emmet McGuckin are the players to make way.

Larne: Ferguson, Cosgrove, Want, Bolger, Todd, Donnelly, Gallagher, Graham, Randall, Ryan, Lusty.

Subs: Besant, Nolan, Simpson, McEneff, Sloan, McKendry, Magee.

Carrick Rangers: Glendinning, Forsythe, Crowe, McCullough, Buchanan-Rolleston, Clucas, Cherry, Andrews, Heatley, Maciulaitis, Gibson.

Subs: McCauley, Surgenor, Watson, Gordon, Cushley, Allen, Given.

Image source, BBC Sport

Declan Dunne is back between the sticks for Dungannon, and there are two other outfield changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Larne last time out.

Dean Curry and Tomas Galvin return to the starting eleven, at the expense of Kealan Dillon and James Knowles.

Loughgall meanwhile name an unchanged side to that which lost 3-2 against Ballymena in their last league outing.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Scott, Curry (C), McGovern, Alves, Glenny, McGinty, Galvin, Wallace, Mitchell, Bigirimana.

Subs: King, Knowles, Dillion, Boyd, Solis Grogan, Hutchinson, McAleese.

Loughgall: Gartside, Rea, Murdock (C), Andrade, Ferris, Norton, Gibson, Balde, Francis, Towe, McCloskey.

Subs: Turker, McAleer, Cartwright, Boyd, Harvey, Kelly, Teggart.

Image source, BBC Sport

Both sides of north Belfast arrive for their not-so-festive get-together off the back of defeats the last time out.

Declan Caddell has plenty of Boxing Day derbies under his belt as a player and, in his first as a manager, he makes just one change from their reversal at Portadown on Saturday. That sees Mal Smith in for the suspended Jacob Blaney.

Caddell's opposite number Jim Magilton makes a pair of changes from their 2-1 home defeat against Glentoran with the most notable seeing Lewis Ridd start in goal in place of David Odumosu after the Reds' number 1's disappointing display on Saturday.

The young Welsh stopper will at least have experience in front of him with Jonny Addis returning for the suspended Odhran Casey.

Crusaders: Tuffey, Callacher, Lowry (C), Jewitt-White, Stewart, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Offord, Larmour, Smith, Clarke

Subs: Kerr, Weir, Williamson, Owens, Nixon, Barr, Downey

Cliftonville: Ridd, Addis, Newberry, Kearney, Hale (C), Curran, Piesold, Gormley, Glynn, Wilson, Steven

Subs: Odumosu, Pepper, Pettifer, Doherty, Markey, Corrigan, Madden

Image source, BBC Sport

Darren Murphy
Sportsound summariser

Larne need to start winning games and going on a run, starting today, they need to win. It will be a difficult game for Gary Haveron.