Irish League Football

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Inpho

Dean Shiels has left his role as Coleraine head coach ahead of the club's European play-off on 7 May.

Shiels was appointed in May 2024 and guided the Bannsiders to fifth in the Irish Premiership as the club transitioned into full-time football.

After a spell as Oran Kearney's assistant, the 40-year-old stepped up to head coach at the Showgrounds after his brother-in-law moved into a sporting director role at the club.

Former Derry City manager Ruaidhri Higgins is the frontrunner to take over from Shiels and could be in position for the European play-off semi-final on Wednesday, 7 May.

The Bannsiders will face either Crusaders or Irish Cup finalists Dungannon Swifts in the play-off.

Michael O'Connor, Shiels' assistant coach, has also left the Showgrounds.

Coleraine said both Shiels and O'Connor leave "with the utmost respect and gratitude" and will be "warmly welcomed back in the future".

Henry Ross, executive chairman and majority shareholder at Coleraine, said Shiels had led the team with "great passion".

"On behalf of everyone connected to Coleraine Football Club, I extend heartfelt thanks to Dean and Michael, and wish them every success in the next chapter of their careers," he added.

Jonathan Bradley
BBC Sport NI Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

After winning his maiden Premier League title last weekend, Liverpool's Conor Bradley hopes his former club Dungannon Swifts can secure a memorable first of their own on Saturday.

The Stangmore Park outfit have never won the Irish Cup and will meet Cliftonville in the showpiece decider at Windsor Park on Saturday afternoon (14.30 BST).

The 21-year-old played age-group football for Dungannon United Youth and latterly Dungannon Swifts, and will be supporting Rodney McAree's side from afar this weekend.

"I'm really looking forward to it," Bradley, who missed Liverpool clinching the title against Tottenham on Sunday through injury, told BBC Sport NI.

"I think they've done really well this year, obviously getting to the final."

Bradley had already caught the attention of Liverpool when playing with Dungannon, limiting his appearances for the club. Still, however, he enjoyed the experience.

"It was a good time when I was there," he added.

"I was there for 18 months or two years and I've really fond memories, I met some really good people when I was there.

"I loved my time at Dungannon. Hopefully they can get the job done in the final and bring a trophy back to Dungannon."

As they prepare for what could be the biggest day in the club's history, the Swifts' focus on youth is again in the spotlight.

Joe McAree, a former manager at Stangmore Park and father of current boss Rodney McAree, can still remember the first time he saw Bradley in action for his hometown club St Patrick's.

"I went to see him one night in Omagh and he was playing in a final two years up for St Patrick's," he recalled.

"It was obvious he was a great, talented player.

"I'd been told about him three years before, but there was no way I was going to be asking an eight-year-old to run up the road from Castlederg to Dungannon to play football."

'I still believe he's a Steven Gerrard'

Making his pitch to Bradley's parents after that game, the youngster did not immediately choose Dungannon.

"Conor wasn't sure, it was a long distance and he was closer to Maiden City," Joe McAree said.

"A couple of days later, the mum rang to say 'Conor feels he's better going to Maiden City but thank you very much' and everything else.

"To be honest, I could have cried on the phone, I very nearly did."

Within six months, Bradley had come to Dungannon and his successes at Liverpool have come as no surprise to those still at the club.

Joe McAree, however, believes there could be even more to come.

"I still believe he's a Steven Gerrard," he added.

"The first manager brave enough to put him into a Steven Gerrard role rather than right wing-back or right-back will have an even better player."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Danny Gibson's hat-trick saw Carrick Rangers take a giant step towards Irish Premiership safety as Stephen Baxter's side beat Annagh United 5-2 in the first leg of the promotion/relegation play-off.

After the game BBC Sport NI caught up with both managers.

Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter on Gibson's hat-trick: "He was absolutely lethal, that's Danny.

"If you put the ball in the right areas for him, he'll run on and score that goal, and tonight he found those spaces and was a handful all night, but that's the type of player Danny is.

"He has been playing well the last number of games. What I know Danny to be is that he has power and aggression, and if he gets a sight of the goal, he'll score."

On the performance of his side: "I'm very pleased. I'm probably disappointed if I'm honest that we didn't add to the five and with the two we conceded, but that's always the case around a manager - we will always pick out faults.

"It's only half-time, you can't get carried away with it. You're up the road with a 3-0 lead and you've to finish the job off on Friday night. That's what this game's all about, you've got to find a way through, and it's far from over."

Annagh United's Ciaran McGurgan on his side's defensive performance: "We are really, really disappointed. What we've done well all season defensively, we have the most clean sheets in the league, we didn't do this evening.

"I thought tonight we were well off it, it was a car crash at times. That's the most disappointing thing.

"The things we've done well to get results to get us here tonight, we didn't do, and Carrick punished us every time it went forward in the first half."

On the approach to the second leg: "It's only half-time, and yes, unfortunately, we are three goals down, but you get an early goal, and that changes things and gives you belief and momentum.

"They have to believe that they can go out on Friday night and give a good account of themselves and get themselves back in it."

Danny Gibson hit a hat-trick as Carrick Rangers beat Annagh United 5-2 in the first leg of the Irish Premiership promotion/relegation play-off.

Read more.

Lauren McCann
BBC Sport NI Journalist

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Annagh United boss Ciaran McGurgan said it would be "unbelievable" to win the promotion/relegation play-off against Carrick Rangers and earn a place in the Irish Premiership.

Saturday's 2-0 win against Ards secured second spot for Annagh in the Championship and a place in the play-offs after a superb run of eight straight league wins.

Having lost out to Portadown and Dungannon Swifts in their two previous play-offs, McGurgan hopes they can get over the line at the third time of asking.

"The run we have been on has been unbelievable and it would be unbelievable if we could reach the Irish Premiership," he told BBC Radio Ulster's Sportsound.

"We're under no illusions it is going to be a tough task, but hopefully we can put on a performance.

"This is our third play-off in fourth years, I'm just hoping it's third time lucky."

Annagh host Carrick at Tandragee Park on Tuesday before travelling to Taylors Avenue for the second leg against the Premiership side.

McGurgan believes that Carrick having home advantage in the second leg will give the Premiership side an edge.

"We've just kept the focus on ourselves, we know what Carrick are about, they're experienced and a big physical team, we have different attributes to that so hopefully we can cause them problems," he continued.

"Unfortunately, these ties seem to favour the Irish Premiership team but all we can do is try get something Tuesday to hold on to going into Friday and see where it takes us."

You can follow live text commentary with in-play clips from both legs of the play-off on the BBC Sport NI website

Image source, Inpho and Pacemaker Press

Four players from Irish Premiership champions Linfield have been named in the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association Team of the Year.

Matthew Orr, Euan East, Joel Cooper and Matthew Fitzpatrick make up the Blues' quartet after they helped Linfield win the Gibson Cup for a record-extending 57th time before the split.

Eighteen-year-old Orr has impressed in his first year with the senior team and has also been nominated for Young Player of the Year.

He has been a virtual ever-present for David Healy's side in their defence alongside East, who has excelled in a number of different positions.

Cooper, who is up for Irish Premiership Player of the Year, scored 19 league goals in his final season for Linfield before his departure to Coleraine in the summer, whilst Fitzpatrick found the net 12 times.

Glentoran have three players in the team whilst Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts each have two representatives.

Glens goalkeeper Daniel Gyollai, defender Kodi Lyons-Foster and midfielder Fuad Sule have all been included from Declan Devine's side who finished third and reached the BetMcLean League Cup final.

Swifts left-back Adam Glenny and midfielder Gael Bigirimana, who is also nominated for Player of the Year, feature after helping Rodney McAree's side to a fourth-place league finish and an Irish Cup final.

Reds captain Rory Hale was named in the team alongside Player of the Year nominee Joe Gormley, who finished as the league's joint top goal scorer with 20 goals.

The duo were key to Cliftonville winning the BetMcLean Cup in March and they will look to win a cup double when the Reds face the Swifts in the Irish Cup final on 3 May.

NIFWA Team of the Year: Daniel Gyollai (Glentoran), Matthew Orr (Linfield), Kodi-Lyons Foster (Glentoran), Euan East (Linfield), Adam Glenny (Dungannon Swifts), Gael Bigirimana (Dungannon Swifts), Fuad Sule (Glentoran), Rory Hale (Cliftonville), Joel Cooper (Linfield), Joe Gormley (Cliftonville), Matthew Fitzpatrick (Linfield)

Image source, Inpho

Carrick Rangers boss Stephen Baxter said his side's Irish Premiership promotion/relegation play-off against Annagh United will be a "very tough task".

The first leg of the play-off will take place on Tuesday at Tandragee Park with the second leg at Taylors Avenue on Friday.

Annagh finished second in the Championship after winning their last eight games in a row and Baxter knows they come into the game as the form side.

"Saturday was their eighth win on the trot and that is some going in the Championship," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We've been able to watch all three of the teams challenging at the top of the division over the last couple of months so we're certainly very aware of how they play."

"They're very well coached and they play to their strengths. They have capable players who have played in the Irish Premiership, it is going to be a very tough task for us, but we need to be up to that challenge."

Baxter rested a number of key players as Carrick suffered a 4-0 defeat against Glenavon in their final league game on Saturday in order to have them in prime condition for the play-off.

"We need to have all the players fully fit and ready to play which I think they are, and we need to get our heads down over two legs and try win this game," he added.

"If your best is good enough you will win and get through."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Former Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton has been appointed as the new manager of Premier Intermediate side Ballymacash Rangers.

Hamilton has been out of management since he was sacked by the Lurgan Blues in September 2023 after almost 12 years in charge of the Irish Premiership club.

The former Northern Ireland international took over as player-manager in December 201, steering them off the bottom of the table and helping them avoid relegation during his first season in charge.

He THEN led the Mid-Ulster club to two Irish Cup successes in 2014 and 2016, four third-place finishes, and the European football that came with that.

Lisburn-based club Ballymacash finished fifth in the third tier this season.

Image source, Press Eye

Larne boss Gary Haveron said that the post-match scenes in their goalless draw with Glentoran were "really unsavoury".

After the full-time whistle, a mass brawl broke out on the pitch at Inver Park, with punches thrown.

Aaron Donnelly and Conor McKendry were sent off for the Inver outfit whilst Christie Pattison and Fuad Sule were dismissed for the Glens.

And Haveron was disappointed that those scenes will overshadow the result which ensured that Larne finished second and secured automatic European qualification.

"Passions were running really high, sometimes they boil over and it was really unsavoury," he told BBC Sport NI.

"It is not something you want to see at games. We pride ourselves on being a family club, there are a lot of kids in the stand and that is not how you end the game of football, but when someone comes on and attacks one of your teammates it is only natural you are going to react to it and that Glentoran would react to that."

"It's not something we want to be associated with, and it is disappointing that that is what the talking points will be and not the grit and determination to get over the line against a good Glentoran side that threw the kitchen sink at us but couldn't break us."

Haveron said that having watched the brawl back he hopes that the main perpetrators will be dealt with accordingly.

"You have to say to the boys to step back because it drags on and on but there was an antagonist," he added.

"People will get punished and rightfully so, I hope the antagonist is punished the most."

Glentoran boss Declan Devine said that he would be "more frustrated if my players lay down and took punches" following ugly scenes after his side's goalless draw with Larne.

After the full-time whistle, with the result having secured Larne second place and automatic European qualification, a mass brawl broke out on the pitch at Inver Park, with punches thrown.

Christie Pattison and Fuad Sule were sent off for the Glens whilst Aaron Donnelly and Conor McKendry were dismissed for Larne.

Whilst admitting he "didn't see much of it" and condemning that violence was used, Devine defended his players.

"My players stood up for each other on and off the pitch. I'd be more frustrated if my players lay down and took punches," he told BBC Sport NI.

"I'm extremely proud of the players, I want fight and commitment, maybe not to the level after the game, but it takes two to tango.

"There are certain players in our changing room who are frustrated with certain members of the Larne team instigating fights."

Devine says he intends to watch the post-match scenes back to get a "clearer picture" of what happened.

"There were a lot of handbags. Tensions were really high and there was a big prize at stake," he added.

"Of course, you shouldn't lift your hands on a football pitch in the 90 minutes and there were a few digs thrown in the 18-yard box in the second half, but no room for violent actions at all during and after the game."

The Glens boss will now have to pick his players up for the European play-offs.

"My only focus now is on the frustration that we didn't win this game. We didn't lose second place here today we lost it last week at Dungannon and before that at Crusaders when we dropped points."