Irish League Football

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Loughgall v Glentoran (Saturday, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster)

I fancy Glentoran for this one. Obviously they're on a good run and building momentum as evidenced by their County Antrim Shield triumph. The return of young Benji Magee on loan will give Dean Smith's side a lift. At this stage of the season Loughgall need more goals which is the difference between winning and losing. Saying that, the Glens will edge this one on the day.

Prediction: 1-3

Larne v Ballymena United (Saturday, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster)

Gary Haveron will be looking to bounce back after disappointment in the County Antrim Shield, as well as the loss of a few players too. Larne are a good strong side still, with the team they assembled for their European campaign. While Ballymena have strengthened, I think home advantage will get Larne over the line.

Prediction: 2-0

Dungannon Swifts v Coleraine (Saturday, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster)

Rodney McAree has done a fantastic job, keeping the Swifts at the top end of the table, while also playing an attractive brand of football which is good to see. Dungannon's home form has been decent, although they bit of a blip last week against Glenavon, but Coleraine have been producing indifferent form. Dean Shiels has a very good squad of players but I think home advantage will play a part again.

Prediction: 2-1

Crusaders v Portadown (Saturday, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster)

Declan Caddell got a good result against Coleraine away from home which will give them a lift after a couple of disappointing results. Home advantage counts and while Portadown had a good result there earlier in the season when they won at Seaview, I think Crusaders will edge this one.

Prediction: 2-1

Glenavon v Carrick Rangers (Saturday, 15:00 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster)

Paddy McLaughlin has gone to Mourneview Park and put a really good stamp on the Glenavon team. He's made some significant signings in goalkeeper Tadhg Ryan and young Sean Carlin from Institute. Stephen Baxter is also trying to put his stamp on Carrick Rangers with his recent transfer activity but Glenavon at Mourneview will be a battle for Carrick so I would imagine a home win there.

Prediction: 3-1

Linfield v Cliftonville (Saturday, 17:30 GMT, Live on BBC2 NI, BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)

Linfield are running away with the league at the minute. They've done a brilliant job and David Healy has been doing a fantastic job in maintaining the momentum that they've got. A lot of credit has to go to the Blues for that consistency. Jim Magilton has lost Ronan Doherty to Larne and Taylor Steven to parent club St Johnstone through no fault of his own but the Reds have come away with some really good results at Windsor in recent times. Could be a close one!

Prediction: 2-2

Don't forget to join Paul with Michael McNamee on Sportsound this week from 14:00 GMT on Saturday for all the latest from the Irish Premiership. Available on BBC Radio Ulster, BBC Sounds and on the BBC Sport website.

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Larne have secured the double signing of Harland and Wolff Welders duo Tiarnan O'Connor and Josh Kee, while the Irish Premiership champions have also allowed Benji Magee to return to Loughgall on loan for the rest of the season.

The sought after pair have been impressing at Blanchflower Park this season, with former Maiden City striker O'Connor, 22, having netted 18 goals in the Championship.

He will bolster Gary Haveron's attacking options at Inver Park immediately, while Kee, also 22, will remain in east Belfast until the end of the season.

"We have been tracking the form of both players over a period of time now and have been really impressed with what we've seen," said Larne's head of football Nathan Rooney.

"We delivered our plans to both players and outlined how we see them playing huge parts for our football club moving forward

"Tiarnan comes with a presence and an ability to cause real problems for defenders with his instinctive style and he has real eye for goal and these credentials will add so much to our playing squad.

"Josh has a real calmness and a guile about his game and he will add to our midfield with his ability to play with a high intensity and his attitude to work hard off the ball."

Magee's loan departure sees him return to Lakeview Park where he made his name last season.

He scored 16 goals during the 2023-24 Premiership campaign to help the Villagers finish ninth in the top flight.

Dean Smith's side are rooted to the bottom of the table this year, however, and Magee returns having struggled for games during his five months at the Inver Reds.

"Benji will return to us with the momentum that he requires and will come back with four months more playing experience where he can hit the ground running in pre-season," added Rooney.

Richard Petrie
BBC Sport NI Journalist

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Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin says his team's recent upturn in results and performances has "been down to sheer hard work by the players and staff".

The Lurgan Blues have won won five and drawn one of their past seven games in all competitions under the former Cliftonville boss who succeeded Stephen McDonnell in the role in mid-November.

An impressive 3-2 victory over second-placed Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park on Friday was particularly satisfying for McLaughlin.

"There's been no magic wand. We've had some really good performances, especially Friday night. Friday night was excellent," he said.

"We all know how good Dungannon are, how well drilled and the good football they play under Rodney [McAree] so we knew we had to match that and better it if we wanted to come out on top.

"There's still a long way to go so we're not getting too carried away. We're playing well and getting good results but things can change very quickly in football."

The manager of the Mourneview Park club says his side is reaping the benefits of increasing training nights from two to three.

"You've seen the immediate impact it has had, the benefits are there for all to see.

"I'm a firm believer that the more time you're together you build up better relationships and the more time you're on the pitch you can develop your game a lot more."

McLaughlin says he is examining the possibility of bringing players in during the January transfer window but "only if they are right for the club and for the team".

Glenavon's recent results see them sit 10th in the table, six points above Saturday's opponents Carrick Rangers, who have a match in hand.

"It's important we keep gathering points because we are in a dangerous position but we're also not that far behind the teams who are sitting in mid-table," McLaughlin added.

"We're not looking over our shoulder, we're looking at who is ahead of us and who can we pull back next."

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Glentoran have made a further signing by snapping up Larne midfielder Joe Thomson for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old's arrival is the latest during an January transfer window which has already seen winger Christie Pattisson move from Waterford and Shane McEleney and Ciaran Coll join the Oval outfit from Derry City.

Former Scotland Under-21 international Thomson has agreed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the Glens.

A product of Celtic's academy, Thomson had loan spells at Dumbarton, Livingston and Queen of the South before establishing himself at Dunfermline Athletic and later Derry City, where he played under Glens boss Declan Devine.

Thomson moved Larne in January 2023 and helped them win consecutive Irish Premiership titles and achieve qualification for the Uefa Conference League.

"I'm absolutely delighted to sign for Glentoran," said Thomson.

"As an opposition player, it was always a challenge [to play at the Oval] and I can't wait to experience that incredible support as a home player."

Devine described Thomson as a "proven performer with a blend of quality, tenacity and creativity that makes him an outstanding box-to-box midfielder capable of influencing games at both ends".

"His arrival bolsters an already competitive midfield group featuring [Fuad] Sule, [James] Singleton, [Cameron] Palmer, [James] Douglas, [Charlie] Lindsay and [Finley] Thorndike, adding both depth and quality to a crucial area of the team," added the Glentoran manager.

The east Belfast outfit won their first trophy since the 2020 Irish Cup when beating Larne on penalties to secure the County Antrim Shield on Tuesday night.

Image source, David Cavan/Coleraine FC

Coleraine have signed Larne defender Levi Ives on a "multi-year deal".

Ives, 27, becomes the club's third arrival this month after Patrick Burns and Ronan Doherty.

Before turning out for the Inver Reds, Ives played for Torquay United, before joining Cliftonville in 2015 and making 245 appearances for the Solitude club.

He joined Larne in June 2023 for an undisclosed fee and has been an important figure for the east Antrim club as they secured back-to-back Irish Premiership titles and advanced to the league stage of the Uefa Conference League.

"Levi is a big signing and defence was an area we were looking to strengthen in this window," said Coleraine head coach Dean Shiels.

"He brings a lot of experience and a lot of quality in the defensive area.

"He's a winner and he's won everything there is to win in this country. He is a young age and we are getting his prime years which is massive for us."

Coleraine are currently ninth in the Irish Premiership and face Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park in their next game on Saturday.

Linfield winger Joel Cooper has been heavily linked to a move to Coleraine, with a pre-contract reportedly agreed for a summer switch to the Showgrounds.

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Crusaders boss Declan Caddell admits Kieran Offord "probably excelled quicker" than he thought he would after his season-long loan at Seaview was cut short by Scottish Premiership side St Mirren.

The Scottish forward scored 14 goals, including 10 in the league, during his loan spell at the club, including three against north Belfast rivals Cliftonville as he quickly established himself as a fans' favourite.

"He's had four loan spells before this one and none have really worked out," said Caddell.

"I brought in a player that I knew had a lot of potential and maybe needed that wee bit of confidence and that little bit of belief put back into him which we spent a lot of time doing and he has reaped the rewards for it.

"I'm delighted for him that once he's called back there's interest from a couple of clubs in him and that's probably testament to ourselves and to him in terms of the project we are trying to do."

Having reportedly attracted interest from Irish League clubs, Caddell admits there is a "possibility" that Offord will be lining up against the Crues in the coming months.

"I know Kieran quite well and we've been quite open and honest about everything," he added.

"It was never Kieran's ambition to spend one, two or three seasons here in the Irish League and I made that clear from day one that I wanted him to come over and use it as that stepping stone or pathway to bigger and better things.

"For me that hasn't changed, he's always had ambitions to play at the highest level he can and from the few months he's been involved he's proved he can at a higher level.

"He bound to get the interest with how he started the season and how it has gone for him."

Jana McCabe
BBC Sport NI contributor

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Glentoran keeper Andrew Mills was "lost for words" after his penalty shootout heroics helped the Glens win their first County Antrim Shield in 14 years.

A stunning strike from Charlie Lindsay gave Declan Devine's side the lead before Andy Ryan's spot-kick levelled the game with neither side able to find another goal before the end of regular time.

Mills, who has recently signed a new 18-month deal at the Oval, then produced a superb stop during the shootout to divert Levi Ives' effort with all five of Glentoran's penalty takers finding the back of the net.

"I'm just delighted and lost for words," Mills told BBC Sport NI.

"It's been a special night with the way we won it and the way we worked so hard.

"To do it in front of the fans and my family who were here - these are the moments in football that you dream of."

The silverware is the first at the Oval since they lifted the Irish Cup back during the 2019/20 season and also denies Larne from writing their name in the history books as the first side to win the County Antrim Shield for five consecutive seasons.

Devine, who was confirmed as permanent manager in April after a spell as caretaker boss, tasted success with the east Belfast side as a player in 1996 when he helped the club win the Irish Cup.

"Declan Devine brings everything. We trust him to the moon and back," said Mills.

"If there is one thing about him it's his honesty. When he gives us his honesty, we give him the trust and whether it's good or bad he always tells us it straight and we respect him in the team. You can also see the fans respect him.

"I've played in many teams and there is just something special here."

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Dean Shiels lifted his first trophy as Coleraine manager after his side beat Ballinamallard United 3-2 to win the North West Cup at the Showgrounds.

The Bannsiders took the lead through Sam McClintock early in the first half and missed the chance to double their advantage when Jamie McGonigle saw his penalty saved by Mallard's keeper Patrick McGarvey.

The Fermanagh side rallied and went in at the break ahead thanks to goals from Richard Johnston and Joshua McIlwaine.

Coleraine mounted a comeback of their own after the interval. McClintock grabbed his second to draw the sides level before substitute Tiernan Brolly netted a late winner.

For the record 23-time winners of the competition it ends a drought of over a decade since their last North West Cup success in 2012.

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Glentoran owner Ali Shams Pour is expecting "one or two more" arrivals at the Oval during the January transfer window.

The east Belfast outfit won their first trophy since the 2020 Irish Cup when beating Larne on penalties to secure the County Antrim Shield on Tuesday night.

Former Waterford winger Christie Pattisson, who joined the club this month, hit the winning spot-kick at Seaview, while Shane McEleney and Ciaran Coll have also been recruited during this window.

And Pour is anticipating more business in the days to come as he seeks to bolster a squad that are now unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions.

"We're in talks with quite a few players," he said.

"There's nothing confirmed yet but one or two more are highly likely."

After an inconsistent start to the year, the Glens are up to third in the Irish Premiership, although 16 points behind leaders Linfield, and they face a sixth round Irish Cup tie against the Blues on 31 January.

They will also take on Cliftonville in the BetMcLean Cup final in March.

Pour credits manager Declan Devine with "transforming the club" since his arrival last March and is already hoping their Shield success can be a "catalyst" for more silverware this season.

"He's come in and restructured the whole thing," he said of the former Derry City and Bohemians boss.

"It's such a hard thing to do. He's done a phenomenal job.

"He's here for a long, long time. I can see us doing a lot of good things together.

"We're very strong contenders for both cups and maybe the league as well. That won't be easy, but the two cups for sure."

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Glentoran manager Declan Devine praised his team and supporters after beating Larne 5-4 on penalties to win the County Antrim Shield.

It was a repeat of last year's final with Larne going for a record fifth straight Shield triumph.

A superb Charlie Lindsay strike put the Glens in front with 10 minutes left at Seaview but Andy Ryan levelled from a spot-kick to send the decider to penalties.

Andrew Mills' save from Levi Ives proved decisive as Glentoran ended a five-year wait for silverware.

"It's brilliant - I'm delighted for the people [fans] because they have been starved for so long," said Devine.

"They've got behind us through thick and thin this year. It was a magnificent goal, a bit magic [from Lindsay].

"All the people here deserve it, the players deserve it - they've worked so hard. I thought we were very brave in our play."

Glentoran owner Ali Pour was at Seaview to see the team battle to victory with Christie Pattisson sparking celebrations by scoring the winning penalty.

"The owner's here, he's seen huge potential in what we're trying to do. Full credit to Larne, [they gave] everything you would expect.

"Our players deserve some credit because they showed a serious bit of character."

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Northern Ireland youth international George Feeney has signed a first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur.

The 17-year-old joined the Premier League club from Glentoran in July and has been a regular starter for their under-18s this season, scoring twice in 12 games.

Prior to the move to north London, Feeney made 10 appearances for Glentoran's senior side last season and became the east Belfast club's youngest-ever goalscorer when he found the net against Dollingstown in the BetMcLean Cup as a 15-year-old.

He has represented both Northern Ireland and Wales at underage level, with his father Warren, grandfather Warren Sr and great-grandfather Jim all having played international football.

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Kieran Offord has returned to St Mirren after a successful loan spell with Irish Premiership side Crusaders.

The 20-year-old striker joined the Crues last summer and scored 10 goals in 21 games for the Seaview team.

Offord moved on a season-long loan but St Mirren have activated a recall option on the forward.

"The club would like to express our gratitude to Kieran for his contributions during his time with us," said Crusaders on Monday.

"His efforts on and off the pitch have been greatly appreciated, and we wish him all the very best for the remainder of the season.

"We would also like to extend our thanks to St Mirren FC for facilitating the loan and for their cooperation throughout the process. Kieran departs with our best wishes for his future success."

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Glentoran goalkeeper Daniel Gyollai has signed a contract extension which will keep him at the Oval club until the end of the 2025-26 season.

The Hungarian joined the Glens during the summer following his recovery from a serious cruciate ligament injury at Maidenhead United.

Gyollai has been hugely impressive since joining the Belfast club and was named the Northern Ireland Football Writers player of the month for October.

He made further headlines for scoring a goal in Glentoran's Irish Premiership win over Cliftonville.

Gyollai said committing his next 18 months to the Glen was "an easy decision".

"This is the perfect place for me to continue my football. Declan [Devine] is building something special here," he added.

Glentoran manager Devine described Gyollai's decision as "fantastic" news.

"He's been simply outstanding since joining us and is one of the best goalkeepers in the league," said Devine.

"His shot-stopping ability, leadership and presence make him a key figure both on and off the pitch and he's exactly the type of player we want at this club."

Fellow goalkeeper Alex Mills has also penned an 18-month extension with the club.

The 31-year-old Englishman, who spent 10 years of his career in Sweden, has made six appearances for the Glens since joining in the summer.

He kept a clean sheet on his league debut against Portadown in December and playing and has played every minute of Glentoran's run to the County Antrim Shield final.

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Linfield manager David Healy expressed satisfaction at coming away with a 3-1 victory over Portadown on a difficult playing surface at Shamrock Park.

Joel Cooper found the net three times in the first 26 minutes to set the Blues on their way to victory and help them establish a 15-point cushion over nearest pursuers Dungannon Swifts at the summit of the Irish Premiership table.

"I thought we were clinical in the first half. Any time you come here and play Portadown you're happy to be heading down the road again with the maximum three points," Healy told BBC Sport NI after the game.

The Ports fought back in the second half but in the end could only manage a solitary reply in the form of Tabu Rabby Minzama's second-half goal.

"Knowing the manager Niall [Currie] is we knew he was always going to get some reaction out of his players and we maybe stepped off it a bit," added the Blues boss.

"Portadown kept at it and in the second half we had a spell where we had a little bit of a wobble.

"We let them back into the game through a poorly defended corner but we are pleased with the outcome, pleased with the three points.

"It's a really difficult pitch to play on and I thought overall we managed the game alright."

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Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton said that his side "struggled" in their 2-0 win against Loughgall at Solitude.

Second half goals from Jonny Addis and Stephen McGuinness secured a much-needed victory for the Reds, who had lost their previous four league games.

Magilton was pleased with the win after a difficult week for his players as they attended the funeral of former teammate Michael Newberry in Newcastle on Thursday.

"We struggled today, it has been a huge week for us in terms of emotion. The elation of winning a cup semi-final [against Larne], mixed with travelling to Newcastle to bury a colleague, wonderful man," he told BBC Sport NI.

"I think it drained the emotion from our performance, and you could tell, I'm not taking anything away from Loughgall, who were outstanding and created so many opportunities."

Magilton was disappointed with Cliftonville's performance despite the victory, which moved them up to fifth in the table.

"Loughgall made it very difficult, but we gave the ball away too much and we had too many players that weren't at it," he continued.

"We got away with one today, but given the context of the week, winning was important for us, we had to stop the rot."

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Crusaders manager Declan Caddell says he believed his side's 2-0 win over Coleraine at Ballycastle Road on Saturday was on the cards despite a recent run of indifferent form for the north Belfast club.

Goals from Jacob Blaney and Harry Jewitt-White secured a precious three points for the Crues as they elevated themselves to sixth place in the table.

"That result has been coming because the last few weeks the boys have been putting it in," Caddell told BBC Sport NI.

"It's a tough place to come and Coleraine are a really good side.

"It would have been easy for the players after Tuesday night's disappointment [losing 3-2 to Glentoran after extra-time in a BetMcLean Cup semi-final] and after 120 minutes of football to feel sorry for themselves and turn up today and fold but they gave everything. They delivered over the 90 minutes."

Caddell's side stood firm as Coleraine threw everything at them in the Premiership encounter, the Bannsiders hitting the woodwork twice and forcing Jonny Tuffey into a number of fine saves.

"We have a blend of experience and youth in the changing room and they are slowly learning. It's about the demands they put on themselves, it's not only me.

"We said after our second-half performance against Glentoran that that was the level we needed to be at week in, week out, and they stepped up and delivered it today."