After ringing the changes for their respective League Cup ties during the week, both managers opt for an air of familiarity about their line-ups for the first 'derby' clash of the season between the two rivals.

Both managers make two changes each from their previous league outings, with Ben Kennedy and Joel Thompson replacing Daire O'Connor and Aaron Jarvis from the Ballymena side which won at Carrick Rangers.

Ruaidhrí Higgins also makes two changes from the Coleraine side which lost at Bangor, with Matthew Shevlin and Rowan McDonald taking the places of Cameron Stewart and Declan McManus.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Toure, Nelson, O'Donnell, Clarke, Thompson, Hood, Corbally, Kennedy, McCurry, McNickle.

Subs: Breen, Lafferty, Gould, O'Connor, O'Reilly, Edogun, McCallion.

Coleraine: Harris, McDonald, Lyons-Foster, Ives, Jarvis, Boyle, Patching, Glackin, Okoro, Cooper, Shevlin.

Subs: Hoey-Kemp, Long, Dunne, Stewart, Watson, Brolly, McManus.

Image source, BBC Sport

With both these sides coming off the back of shock cup losses midweek against lower league opposition, there will be a requirement from both sets of supporters to see a reaction today.

Carrick make two changes from the side that lost to Ballymena United last weekend with Ryan Waide and Nedas Maciulaitis dropping out and the introduction of Joe Crowe and Paul Heatley.

Unlike their hosts today, Portadown have won their last two league games, including a mid-Ulster success against Glenavon last Saturday evening, and perhaps not surprisingly they make just the one enforced change. Lee Chapman is suspended and is replaced by Divin Isamala.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside, Burns, Callacher, McCullough, McKay, Scott, Snoody, Steele, Crowe, Heatley, Gibson.

Subs: Pengelly, Wade, Buchanan-Rolleston, Cherry, James, Maciulaitis, McCawl.

Portadown: McCarey, Altintop, MacKinnon, Wilson, Isamala, Mayse, McCullough, Fyfe, Teelan, Thompson, Tulloch.

Subs: Francey, Rea, Gibson, Traynor, Obhkhan, Annett, B. Quinn.

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Glenavon make five changes from their Mid-Ulster derby defeat by Portadown two weeks ago with Patrick Burns, Jack Malone, Stephen Mallon, Niall Quinn and Francely Lomboto coming into the starting side.

Lomboto is rewarded with a start following his goal in Glenavon's midweek win against Warrenpoint Town in the League Cup with last week's goalscorer Luke McGerrigan out through injury.

Lee Feeney has made two changes to the team that achieved victory against Coleraine last week with Kyle Owens and Liam Hassin receiving starts. The latter scored two against Lisburn Distillery midweek.

Glenavon: Byrne, Burns, Murphy, McKeown (C), Malone, Mallon, O'Kane, McClelland, Lomboto, O'Connor, Quinn.

Subs: Hamill, McMullan, Cartwright, McDaid, Kee, Bosakani, Smith.

Bangor: Deane, Neale, Haughey, Owens, Harrison (C), Hassin, Mulvenna, Arthurs, Lynch, Boyd, Devlin.

Subs: Solis Grogan, O'Mahony, Garrett, Morgan, McGuinness, Mitchell, Osew

Referee: Ben McMaster

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The focus may be on the Irish Premiership today but tomorrow it will switch to the Women's Premiership as Glentoran and Cliftonville meet in a title decider at 18:00 BST.

Glentoran manager Kim Turner has said that winning the league crown would "put the icing on the cake" of their season.

The Glens go into the final game of the campaign two points ahead of defending champions Cliftonville, who need to take victory at the Blanchflower Stadium to stop the east Belfast side from regaining the trophy.

The winners of the Premiership title will not only lift the trophy at the weekend but also book a coveted spot in the Champions League.

"This is where we wanted to be at the start of the year, so the fact that we are here means we are hitting those goals and values," Turner told BBC Sport NI.

"The girls deserve nothing but this. I can be biased, but I don't think any team works harder than us away from the field.

"The way they look after their bodies, the commitment and the extra sessions they are willing to do, they do not get enough credit. I feel like the league title would put the cherry on top of the cake."

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Larne captain Tomas Cosgrove has been named September's Irish Premiership player of the month by the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association.

The 32-year-old played in all of the Inver Reds five victories in September as they beat Bangor, Glenavon, Crusaders and Carrick Rangers in the league and Queen's in the County Antrim Shield.

Defender Cosgrove also played a key part in his side not conceding for the whole month of September in all competitions.

"It's the first time I've won this award so I'm thrilled," Cosgrove said after picking up the award.

"I'm the man collecting the trophy, but we defend as a team, so all the players deserve credit for the clean sheets.

"Gary Haveron has been brilliant as well, he has kept the ship steady through some tough times."

While September was a very successful month for Larne, October has not been as kind thus far with a 2-0 by Dungannon Swifts in Haveron's first loss since he became interim manager.

"We were excellent in September but obviously started October with a loss to Dungannon Swifts," Cosgrove continued.

"Hopefully we can bounce back and put more wins on the board."

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Holders Cliftonville and Irish Premiership leaders Glentoran were among the top-flight sides to progress to the last 16 of the BetMcLean Cup on Tuesday night.

The Reds, who beat the Glens in last season's decider, saw off Coagh United 4-1 at Solitude while the Glens secured a 1-0 win over Institute at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

On a largely comfortable night for Premiership teams, there were big wins for Larne and Coleraine, while Ballymena United, Bangor and Crusaders also advanced.

Glenavon, who have lost all 10 league games this season, beat Warrenpoint Town, but Carrick Rangers and Portadown fell to Armagh City and Newry City.

Twelve-time winners Linfield booked their place in the next round with victory over Queen's University the previous week, while Dungannon Swifts required a penalty shootout to see off Championship opposition in the form of Ards on Wednesday evening.

Image source, Presseye

The Department for Communities (DfC) did not follow its own guidelines during the Northern Ireland Football Fund's application process, Crusaders treasurer Tommy Whiteside has claimed.

On Wednesday, Crusaders and Derry City released statements to confirm they would launch legal proceedings after their bids to progress to the next stage were rejected.

Last month, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced 20 clubs across Northern Ireland would move to the next round of the process, with three different tiers of funding available.

Speaking to Good Morning Ulster, Whiteside said Crusaders' reason for challenging the decision was "really procedural".

"As you know there were 10 bids from tier one, five of those - which is 100% that scored the minimum - were funded. In tier two there were 19 bids, of which 13 were funded, 70%.

"In tier three only two bids, which is 25%, and that unnatural balance has been caused by the department not following their own guidelines and in fact changing their guidelines after the bids were submitted."

Image source, Presseye

Crusaders and Derry City will join forces to commence legal proceedings over their omission from Stage Two of the Northern Ireland Football Fund.

In September, the Department for Communities announced 20 clubs from across Northern Ireland would progress to the next round of the process with three different tiers of funding available.

Of the 41 clubs eligible to apply, 38 submitted bids, leaving those who missed out bitterly disappointed.

Both Crusaders and Derry City were two to miss out and having considered the decision, jointly confirmed on Wednesday evening they will now lodge legal proceedings against the decision to omit them.

In a statement, Crusaders said: "Following an extra-ordinary general meeting of Crusaders Football Club members on Wednesday, 8 October 2025, Crusaders FC have determined to join Derry City FC to commence legal proceedings to challenge the exclusion of both clubs from Stage 2 of the Northern Ireland Football Fund."

The League of Ireland club expressed similar sentiments.

"Derry City FC have made the decision to join with Crusaders FC to commence legal proceedings to challenge the exclusion of both clubs from Stage 2 of the Northern Ireland Football Fund process," they said in a statement.

"We believe we were left with no other option."

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Portadown manager Niall Currie will seek to rebuild his backroom following the departures of assistant Cliffy Adams and first team coach John McAllister.

Adams moves to take charge of bottom-of-the-table Championship team Dundela, with McAllister his assistant.

The club confirmed during the week that both Adams and McAllister were departing "with immediate effect", bringing a three-year spell to an end having arrived with Currie in October 2022.

In that time, Portadown made a return to the top flight as Championship winners in 2023/24, a season in which they also won the Mid Ulster Cup and reached the final of the BetMcLean Cup where they lost to Linfield.

Upon their return to the Premiership last season, they helped the Ports to their highest finish in a decade when finishing eighth, one place outside the European play-offs.

They depart with Portadown eighth in the table thanks to back-to-back wins, with Currie's side preparing to travel to Carrick Rangers today (15:00 BST).

In a statement, the club offered its gratitude to the departing pair.

"Everyone at Portadown Football Club thank Cliffy and John for their contributions, commitment and effort during their time at Shamrock Park and wish them well for the future," they said.

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Much of the attention this weekend may be focused on the international arena but this afternoon it's domestic football matters that come under the spotlight with a four-match programme in the Irish Premiership.

League leaders Glentoran had their past two matches postponed because of inclement weather and as they return to top flight action they put their unbeaten record on the line away to in-form Dungannon Swifts.

After a poor start to the season, Rodney McAree's side have won four of their past five Premiership outings to move up the standings.

Coleraine have lost two of their past three matches in the top division so they will aim to bounce back as they travel to face erratic A26 derby rivals Ballymena United.

Meanwhile Carrick Rangers and Portadown, who both crashed out to Championship opposition at the first hurdle in the BetMcLean Cup on Tuesday night in the form of Armagh City and Newry City, meet at Taylors Avenue.

After a promising start to the campaign, Carrick go into the fixture on the back of a four-game losing streak in the league.

Glenavon make their latest attempt to secure their first points of the season when they host a Bangor side who will be buoyed by their victory over Coleraine at Clandeboye seven days ago.

We will provide our usual offering of audio courtesy of Radio Ulster's Sportsound, text commentary and in-play clips from all four games, plus highlights, a report and post-match reaction, so be sure to stay with us throughout the afternoon to keep abreast of all the action as it unfolds.

Image source, BBC Sport