Glenavon assistant manager Colin Coates has said that the Lurgan Blues "will keep fighting" as they search for their elusive first point of the season after seven straight defeats to start their Irish Premiership campaign.

Paddy McLaughlin's men sit bottom, three points adrift of Dungannon Swifts at the foot of the table, and face league champions Linfield in their next top flight game at Windsor Park on Saturday.

"I think seven defeats from seven games really doesn't tell the tale of the tape. In games we've missed chances and conceded soft goals," Coates told BBC Sport NI.

"They're a brilliant bunch of players, a great group of lads, plenty of quality in there too that we probably haven't seen enough of this season so far.

"We got a level of performance to build on against Larne [a 1-0 defeat last Saturday] and the challenge now is can we bottle that, can we bring it to the table every week.

"If we do, we will soon rattle off points and rid ourselves of that burden of having not won a game."

The former Crusaders captain says the spirit is good in the Mourneview Park camp despite the disappointing start to the season.

"We're always preparing for the next game. You're aware obviously that you've lost seven games and it's not ideal for any football club or any football team.

"It's how the players react and the gauge you get from them. They're giving their all and we just seem to have got into a wee rut at the minute of bad luck and when you're down there you keep getting kicked.

"The only way to get through it is to keep fighting and keep working hard and to the players' credit they're doing that every training night and every matchday."

Coates remains positive and confident that the club's fortunes will change.

"We'll keep fighting and it will turn. There's no doubt about that in our minds that it will turn. If we can replicate the effort and commitment we showed against Larne, we'll have no problems moving forward.

"Every week brings a new challenge and Linfield away at Windsor Park is probably the ultimate challenge.

"We look forward to it. No better game as a player to get that first win."

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Champions Linfield welcome basement side Glenavon to Windsor Park this afternoon, looking to bounce back from Tuesday's shock defeat to Ballymena United.

The visitors have lost all seven league games this season, scoring just once on the road. The Lurgan Blues' last win in south Belfast came back in April 2019 too, with the Blues in contract having won 14 of their last 15 home games.

Striker Kieran Offord has been clinical at Windsor Park this season, scoring five goals in his last six league appearances at home. However, there's only room for him on the bench in one of three changes made by David Healy from their midweek defeat.

Chris McKee, Sam Taylor and Callum Morrison come in for Offord, Kirk Millar and Dane McCullough.

Paddy McLaughlin on the other hand makes just one change to his side that lost 1-0 at Inver Park last week. Barney McKeown returns to the side, replacing Ben Wilson.

Linfield: Johns, East, Shields (capt), McClean, Hall, McKee, Brown, Baird, Fitzpatrick, Taylor, Morrison.

Subs: Walsh, Roscoe, Millar, Offord, Allen, Yates, Archer.

Glenavon: Carney, McMullan, Cartwright, McKeown (capt), Malone, McDaid, O'Kane, McClelland, Lowe, Carlin, McGovern.

Subs: Byrne, Murphy, Mallon, Kee, O'Connor, Bosakani, Smith.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Inpho

Larne interim manager Gary Haveron has praised his side for their run of five consecutive clean sheets during their run of five successive wins in the Irish Premiership.

That impressive run has seen the Invermen challenge near the top of the league table, with a derby against east Antrim neighbours Carrick Rangers next up for Haveron's side on Saturday.

"I absolutely believe the cornerstone of any good team is clean sheets and that's our fifth on the bounce," Haveron told BBC Sport NI after watching his charges defeat Crusaders 4-0 on Tuesday.

"When we don't concede goals and we're ruthless in the box then we'll always have a chance in the game because we've got so many exciting talented players going forward.

"We've still got Paul O'Neill to come back in the mix, we've still got Leroy Millar to come back in, and Dylan Sloan. Aaron Donnelly's got one more game to serve of his suspension and then he comes back in, so it bodes really well that we have four excellent players on the cusp of coming back into the set-up."

With those players nearing a return, Haveron has urged the players currently in possession of shirts to make it difficult for him to drop them from the team.

"I said to the lads who are in there that when you have the shirt don't give it up easy, keep the shirt and make it a real problem for me to leave you out.

"I think the boys are definitely doing that with the level of performance.

"We've got strength and depth within the squad and we're capable of changing how we play to accommodate some of our best players.

"I'm excited about it. It gives me more options and that's only a good thing."

The interim Larne boss has praised the performances of central defensive pairing Matt Ridley and Ryan Nolan, who have excelled in the absence of Donnelly.

"Matt has been a rock for us at the back, alongside Ryan. The two of them have been absolutely outstanding.

"I couldn't have asked any more of the two boys. They're so committed, they train so hard. There's zero management to managing the two lads. They are very dedicated and committed."

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Linfield manager David Healy said Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at Ballymena United was "frustrating and disappointing."

The Blues enjoyed plenty of possession but couldn't turn pressure into points as Matthew Clarke's 21st-minute goal was enough to condemn the defending champions to their first defeat of the league campaign.

Healy felt his team did a lot right, but a lack quality in attack to get back on terms would ultimately see them come away empty handed from the Showgrounds.

"We had so many final third entries tonight and couldn't capitalise on them," Healy told BBC Sport NI.

"You empty the bench and put the attackers on hoping for the clinical finish, but we didn't get that. We had 11 corners and never looked a threat.

"We had other bits and pieces, fluffed shots, half shots and didn't work hard enough in the final third. We didn't pick the right pass, the weight of pass was off. You can have as much possession as you like, but Ballymena managed the game.

"I can't fault the players' efforts as they played the way we want them to play, but in the attacking third we just didn't do enough."

Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin was "proud" of his players' efforts as they bounced back from three defeats to stun Linfield at the Showgrounds on Tuesday.

Matthew Clarke's first half header was enough for the Braidmen to take the win which saw them move up into fourth as the Blues suffered their first league defeat of the season.

Ervin's side was hit with a last-gasp sucker-punch at Cliftonville on Saturday but responded in fine style to get back into the winning column.

"The response is what we were after and we truly got it today," the Ballymena manager told BBC Sport NI.

"You're playing the league champions, so they are going to have a lot of the ball and will put you under a lot of pressure.

"We defended really well on Saturday considering we were down to 10 men and lost it late on. It was cruel and our job to pick the players up. I don't think any of our boys missed a header, missed a tackle or a block in the box, so what more can you ask for?"

Tuesday's win ought to boost the Sky Blues' confidence as they now turn their attention to Saturday's trip to face Crusaders at Seaview (15:00 BST).

Ervin said he wouldn't let emotions from Tuesday's win take over and "come out with anything stupid" but has challenged his players to replicate the effort they put in against the defending league champions.

"We need to dust ourselves down and give the same effort, commitment and determination, but we need to be better on the ball," he stressed.

"A lot of people wrote us off tonight as we had three difficult games against Larne, Glentoran and Cliftonville. For the players to bounce back from that last-minute goal on Saturday, I'm so proud of them.

"We won't get carried away with this result. It's massive for us after three defeats but there is no point doing that this evening and not following up on Saturday."

Carrick Rangers winger Paul Heatley says he felt "traumatised" after suffering injuries in a collision with the wall surrounding the pitch during last weekend's Irish Premiership game against Bangor at Taylors Avenue.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI's Thomas Niblock, the 38-year-old has indicated that he is on the road to recovery now following the incident which saw the match abandoned after he was initially treated at the side of the pitch and then taken to hospital.

Heatley sustained a concussion and a head wound as a result of his collision into the perimeter wall as he attempted to cross the ball with 53 minutes of the game played.

"The ball came in behind. I tried to follow the ball to the byeline to cut it back, then the next memory is 'brace for impact' just before I hit the wall and being on my side as soon as I hit it. After that it was a bit of a blur, and random clips of people being around me," said Heatley.

"The timescale is a wee bit strange after having other players contact me in the last couple of days and give me their run-through. I've had different snippets from different people. You start to patch things together clearer because your own perception was nothing like that.

"It's interesting to listen to, it's a wee bit concerning, and quite traumatic to listen to. Some of the feedback has been quite scary, but very grateful to come out the other side and get on the road to recovery."

Read more from Heatley here.

Watch highlights as Larne breezed past 10-man Crusaders 4-0 at Inver Park on Tuesday following Finley Thorndike's red card.

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Portadown boss Niall Currie said that their 4-1 defeat against Bangor at Shamrock Park on Friday night was the "lowest performance" of his second spell in charge of the club.

Ben Cushnie's strike put the hosts ahead before Eamon Fyfe levelled for the Ports.

It went downhill from there however, as Reece Neale's free-kick restored Bangor's with Liam Hassin and Mark Haughey giving the away side a comfortable victory.

Currie lamented the nature of the goals they conceded, the second successive game in which Ports have shipped four goals following a 4-1 defeat against Coleraine last weekend.

"You're not going to win football matches when you're conceding the kind of goals we conceded. We are conceding far too many soft goals," he told BBC Sport NI.

"That is as bad as it gets, that is the lowest performance since I returned to the club three years ago, but that is on me, so the only way to get through this is to stay together."

Portadown are 10th in the table and have picked up just two wins from their first eight league games, but Currie believes they will make it through their current predicament of three straight defeats.

"We know if we get our act together, we can be a decent side. We carried seven or eight players against Bangor, and you can't do that," he added.

"We were nowhere near it; they were first and second to every ball and clinical with their chances. When you're off it in this league you get punished."

Watch highlights as Bangor claim a big 4-1 win away win against Portadown at Shamrock Park.

Glentoran's Jordan Stewart insists he is not listening to his "critics" and is playing with "a lot of confidence" after his match-winning performance against Coleraine on Friday night.

Stewart, who rejoined the Glens in the summer after a single season at Crusaders, struck twice in the second half to help Declan Devine's undefeated pacesetters extend their lead at the top of the Irish Premiership table to four points.

The 30-year-old, who won an Irish Cup in his first spell at the Oval, doubled his tally for the season after being restored to the starting line-up at the Showgrounds.

"I've a lot to thank the manager for and his coaching staff for bringing me here," said Stewart, who also won four Irish Premiership titles during a seven-year spell at Linfield.

"I had a lot of critics when I came here and I knew I was going to get them, but it was an opportunity to play for a massive club and I've relished that.

"You need luck along the way but I've worked hard. It's been a good start but I'm not getting carried away, football can turn very quickly but I'll enjoy the good moments while they last."

When asked about silencing his critics, Stewart added: "Everyone's entitled to an opinion. It was a selfish decision for me, when Glentoran came knocking, you could say you're getting on in your career and I've had a few injuries.

"I wanted to come here and challenge myself, there were opportunities to go elsewhere but I saw this as a massive challenge and an opportunity for me to do well in the backend of my career."

Having brought Stewart back in for Friday's game, Devine said Stewart has "nothing to prove".

"I knew he would bring that and more," added the Glens boss.

"Jordan would be the first to tell you it's a team game but he was fantastic tonight.

"You look at his goals but what Jordan Stewart did without the ball tonight, what Liam Burt did without the ball, they're flair players but their discipline and willingness to do the ugly stuff was important to us."

Image source, Inpho

Watch highlights as Jordan Stewart scores twice to help Glentoran beat Coleraine 2-1 at the Coleraine Showgrounds and extend their lead at the top of the table.

Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of today's four Irish Premiership games.

It is over to the chasing pack to close the gap on unbeaten leaders Glentoran following their 2-1 win against Coleraine last night.

Champions Linfield will look to bounce back from a first defeat of the season against Ballymena on Tuesday night as they host winless Glenavon.

Fellow strugglers Dungannon Swifts welcome in-form Cliftonville to Stangmore Park looking for a big win to really kickstart their campaign.

Crusaders, like Linfield, will hope to put a midweek defeat behind them as they take on Ballymena at Seaview.

Larne, who have won five successive games, are at home to Carrick Rangers, who have made a solid start to the campaign.

We will have our usual blend of radio and live text commentary as well as in-play clips so you won't miss any of the action.

Enjoy!

Image source, Inpho