Irish League Football

Image source, BBC Sport

After Glentoran's defeat to Dungannon Swifts and Larne's comeback win over Glenavon, we've got four more Irish Premiership matches for you on Saturday.

Victory for Gary Haveron's side saw them close the gap on league leaders Coleraine to just a point while the Swifts climbed up to fourth in the table after their win at the Oval.

The Bannsiders head to Solitude today to take on Cliftonville while 5th and 6th placed sides Linfield and Bangor face off at Clandeboye Park.

Carrick Rangers, fresh from their Co Antrim Shield semi-final win over Larne, welcome Portadown with Crusaders travel to Ballymena, looking for a third straight league win.

Follow all the action on Radio Ulster's Sportsound (14:00 GMT) with Derry City manager Tiernan Lynch joining Joel Taggart in the studio.

We'll have live text commentary from every game with clips of all the goals as they go in on the BBC Sport NI website.

Irish Premiership fixtures (all 15:00 GMT kick-off):

Ballymena Utd v Crusaders

Bangor v Linfield

Carrick Rangers v Portadown

Cliftonville v Coleraine

Image source, Pacemaker

Glenavon boss Michael O'Connor will look to the positives despite seeing his side go down 2-1 at Larne on Friday.

Luke Cartwright headed the Lurgan side into a half-time lead, but Paul O'Neill netted an equaliser shortly after the break with Conor McKendry popping up with the winner with 77 minutes on the clock.

While disappointed with coughing up the equaliser so early in the second period, O'Connor expressed pride in his players' efforts and feels they can take heart from how they battled to the end.

"It was a hard way to lose but I thought we were really good tonight, especially in the first half," he told BBC Sport NI.

"It's schoolboy stuff, conceding straight after half-time the way we did. But I'm really proud of the players tonight. They were great in the effort and commitment they gave. It's a tough place to come, but I thought we did ourselves proud tonight.

"Towards the end, we looked like we might get a chance. We were rolling the ball into the box in the last four or five minutes, but it just didn't fall to us."

Glenavon's goal came from a set-piece and this was an area of attack that may have brought further rewards. O'Connor feels that may well be the case going forward and something they can build on.

"I think it's going to be a big part of the second half of the season for us," he continued.

"Set pieces can pick up points and make a big difference. I thought the game plan worked really well tonight, especially in the first half, where we sat in, we knew we'd hit on the counter-attack, and we did it well. But listen, they're a top team."

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Glentoran manager Declan Devine said his side's performance in their 1-0 defeat by Dungannon Swifts was "totally unacceptable".

James Singleton's second-half own goal helped the Swifts to inflict a second successive league loss on Glentoran and their first at The Oval this season.

And Devine lamented their lack of "courage" and inability to produce a response to an equally sub-par showing in defeat against Glenavon a fortnight ago.

"So frustrated but this performance has been coming for a week or two and we have to accept over the last two games we have been poor," he told BBC Sport NI,

"There's no way of dressing it up, we have to get back to the performances of a few weeks ago and show more courage.

"Conditions were poor but there was no excuse to not get on the ball and play forward passes and ask questions of the opposition.

"That is something that has to be addressed quickly. It's totally unacceptable tonight."

Devine said the goal Glentoran conceded was "soft" and also questioned the decision to show substitute Jonny Russell a straight red card for his late challenge on Steven Scott.

"I've never seen a straight red for something that happened 75 yards for our own goal," he added.

"I can't believe it was given but that's not the reason we lost the game tonight, we lost the game because we weren't at the levels we need to be at to represent this club, and we need to get our finger out very quickly."

Image source, Press Eye

Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree said his side had to "grind out a result" in their 1-0 win over Glentoran.

In the pouring rain at The Oval, a second-half own goal from James Singleton helped the Swifts to a first win at the east Belfast venue over the Glens since 2019.

And McAree was delighted they dug in and got all three points, a result that takes them up to fourth in the table.

"We knew it wasn't going to be pretty; we probably didn't play as well as we'd like to," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We had to grind out a result, restrict Glentoran to as few chances as possible and give ourselves an opportunity to nick something and that's what we did.

"We hadn't scored a second half goal away from home all season and that was the challenge, and we managed to get that. To get three points is hugely rewarding for the efforts we put in."

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Larne manager Gary Haveron hailed match-winner Conor McKendry following his side's 2-1 win over Glenavon at Inver Park, but still feels some officials have a "preconceived notion" about the winger.

McKendry showed great composure to net what proved to be the winner in the 77th minute tocomplete the turnaround afyter Glenavon had led at the break.

Despite his delight at how his team turned things around, Haveron still believes McKendry gets a raw deal when it comes to being awarded free-kicks.

"I genuinely don't know what this lad has to do to get a free-kick in this league," the Larne boss told BBC Sport NI.

"Some people seem to have a preconceived notion about him where he doesn't get a decision. I'm not saying everything is a stonewall foul, but you can't not give one decision against the kid.

"I see this week in and week out. We've got to protect players like Conor McKendry and players like that.

"It's frustrating for him but what he does do is come up for us in big moments and produced another classy finish."

Haveron said there were some stern words at half-time regarding how they conceded from a corner when Luke Cartwright' headefd the Lurgan Blues ahead.

However, he was delighted with his team's response in the second period to narrow the gap at the top on leaders Coleraine.

"We defended the set-pieces much better in the second half but had to do it the hard way," he added.

"Going a goal behind and having to dig deep, then showing the character to come back and win 2-1 was really important. I'm pleased to get the result.

"Glenavon came and were really spirited and fought really hard, but ultimately, with the chances we created, we're happy with the three points."

Watch highlights as Larne come from behind to beat Glenavon 2-1 in the Irish Premiership.

READ MORE: Larne fight back to beat bottom side Glenavon

Don't forget to follow all of our Irish Premiership coverage on our dedicated Irish League Football page

Watch highlights as Dungannon Swifts beat 10-man Glentoran 1-0 in the Irish Premiership courtesy of a James Singleton own goal.

READ MORE: Swifts inflict back-to-back defeats on 10-man Glens

Don't forget to follow all of our Irish Premiership coverage on our dedicated Irish League Football page

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Carrick Rangers will play in a first County Antrim Shield final in 33 years after a dramatic penalty shootout win over Larne.

Adam Lecky gave Carrick a first-half lead at Taylors Avenue, but Ryan Nolan equalised to send the game to extra time.

The sides could still not be separated, and there was drama to come in the shootout.

Larne, who won the Shield for four years in a row until last season's final defeat by Glentoran, and Carrick both scored their opening penalties through Chris Gallagher and Jack Scott.

Conor McKendry then converted for Larne, but Rohan Ferguson then saved from Joe Crowe.

Sean Graham netted for Larne and Ferguson's second save, this time from Danny Gibson, put Gary Haveron's side on the brink of the final.

But things took a turn when Jordan McEneff was denied by Nathan Gartside, and Aidan Steele converted.

Gartside then saved from Ferguson, and Paul Heatley sent the shootout to sudden death.

Cormac Austin struck the post for Larne, and there was wild celebrations as Jimmy Callacher converted to send Carrick to the final.

The second semi-final between Ballymena United and Cliftonville takes place on Tuesday, 25 November.

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Bangor assistant manager John Douglas says he thought it would have been "unfair for either team to come away with three points" in Saturday's 1-1 draw between the sides at Shamrock Park.

Eamon Fyfe opened the scoring for the Ports in the first half, with Ben Arthurs equalising soon after the interval.

"Throughout the game both teams gave absolutely everything and largely cancelled each other out. By the end, a draw felt like the fairest outcome for both sides," Douglas told BBC Sport NI.

"We were disappointed with our first-half performance. At half-time Lee challenged the players because we knew we could be a lot better.

"We were very predictable in how we were playing, so we talked about changing things up, adding more movement, positivity and interplay. I thought we showed that in the second half."

Portadown manager Niall Currie said his side "were disappointed to come away with only a point".

"I felt we deserved all three," said the Ports boss. "We had the best chances but fell asleep for two minutes at the start of the second half and got punished.

"We really should have been coming off at half-time in a very strong position. We should have had the game over by the break but we switched off for those first few minutes of the second half and paid for it.

"After that, it became a bit of a lottery, end-to-end. It is what it is, it's a point. We're not over the moon, but it's not the end of the world."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Glenavon manager Michael O'Connor said to concede two goals in two minutes during their 4-1 defeat against Crusaders at Seaview was "unacceptable".

The Lurgan Blues are now 10 points adrift at the bottom of the table with the Crues now moving ahead of Portadown on goal difference.

Fraser Bryden netted three times before Kyle McClelland made it 3-1, but the Scottish striker sealed the Crues' first home win when he scored his fourth on 82 minutes.

"You concede one and sort of regroup, but to concede two goals in two minutes is unacceptable," O'Connor told BBC Sport NI.

"It is not good enough and I told them that there."

The Lurgan Blues came into the game after beating Glentoran 3-1 last weekend in O'Connor's second victory at the helm.

However, the results today mean that Glenavon are further adrift at the bottom with the Ports now occupying 11th with 16 points.

"I thought for the first 25 minutes we were the better team and then the two goals in two minutes killed us," O'Connor continued.

"At half-time I told the boys that 2-0 is a dangerous scoreline and to have a go and I thought for the next 20 minutes in the second half we had a go.

"They didn't have to work hard for their goals; we sort of gave them then."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Crusaders striker Fraser Bryden says he is 'delighted' after his four goals secured the three points for Declan Caddell's side against Glenavon.

Bryden broke the deadlock on 32 minutes when he fired home Elliot Dunlop's cross before netting his second just one minute later.

The 21-year-old completed his hat-trick in the 71st minute for his 12th goal of the campaign.

Kyle McClelland did pull one back for Michael O'Connor's side, but Bryden scored his fourth with eight minutes to go to secure Crusaders' first home victory of the season.

"I am delighted, it was an important game today," Bryden told BBC Sport NI.

"We knew how important it would be to get the three points and to come away with the three points, first home win of the season and to score all four as well, I am buzzing.

"The first 30 minutes were cagey, both teams looked quite nervous but once we got to grips with the game, we got into spaces and caused Glenavon problems."

The result moves the Crues out of the bottom-two on goal difference with the Scottish striker's four goals meaning that he leapfrogs Joel Cooper and Matthew Shevlin and is now the league's top goalscorer.

This is also the second time that Bryden has secured the match ball after netting three against Bangor earlier in the season.

"I have been loving life since I moved over to Belfast," Bryden continued.

"All the boys have been brilliant with me and it is even better than I am scoring."

Image source, Inpho

Friday's planned NIFL Premiership game between Glentoran and Carrick Rangers is postponed.

Northern Ireland's U21 1-0 win over Latvia took place at the Oval on Thursday, but following a pitch inspection on Friday morning, the surface was deemed unplayable following heavy rainfall in Belfast over the past few days.

An announcement on the date of the re-fixture will be made in due course.

"Glentoran Football Club can confirm that, following a pitch inspection, tonight's Sports Direct Premiership fixture against Carrick Rangers at the BetMcLean Oval has been postponed," the club said in a statement.

"A new date for the fixture will be confirmed in due course, and we will communicate updated arrangements to supporters as soon as they are available.

"All tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled fixture."

As it stands, Saturday's games will proceed as planned with Crusaders set to host Glenavon at Seaview and Portadown welcoming Bangor to Shamrock Park.