Irish League Football

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

I think Cliftonville have a few key players suspended for this game and will be very disappointed after their defeat to Portadown. However, at home I fancy them to bounce back even though Glentoran are in a very rich vein of form. A very tight game with hopefully plenty of goals, possibly a late winner.

Prediction: 3-2

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

Paddy McLaughlin's team are coming off the back of a great win at home against Crusaders. Going into the game all the pressure will be on Linfield just like any other week. Regardless, I feel Linfield at home will just have a little too much in attacking areas for Glenavon to cope with.

Prediction: 3-1

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

This fixture has two very hard working teams that both need to bounce back after defeats. I think it could go either way so I'll have to sit on the fence for this one.

Prediction: 1-1

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

Portadown are absolutely flying at the minute and are sitting nicely in the league so their confidence will be very high. Declan Caddell's team haven't been able to capitalise in their last two games after taking the lead in each. Again, another tight encounter which could go either way but I'll go with Crusaders to hold out this time.

Prediction: 1-2

Dungannon Swifts v Larne (Monday, 19:45 GMT, coverage on Sportsound on BBC Sounds and BBC Radio Ulster)

Another very tough game at home to the champions. We were all very disappointed not to take anything from the game midweek against Linfield but going into this one will challenge ourselves again to compete against the best.

Prediction: (We'll let James off with this one!)

Don't forget to join James 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.

Image source, Inpho

Linfield forward Joel Cooper has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Coleraine at the end of the season.

Cooper had been free to speak with other clubs having entered the last six months of his current deal at Linfield.

It is believed that a long-term agreement has been finalised with the Bannsiders this week.

The 28-year-old winger has been in outstanding form for the Blues this season, scoring 11 league goals to help David Healy's side sit 11 points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership.

Following Tuesday's 1-0 win over Dungannon Swifts - in which Cooper scored the winner - Healy said he had "absolutely no doubt" about the player's future.

Cooper, who has also had spells with Glenavon and Oxford United, has won three Irish Premiership titles with Linfield and scored in the 2021 Irish Cup final.

Coleraine, who are currently eighth in the Irish Premiership, announced on Thursday that local property developer Henry Ross has become their majority owner following a "significant investment".

Image source, Presseye

Jay Donnelly has been ruled out of Glentoran's derby against Linfield on Boxing Day after being handed a two-match suspension for a provocative gesture during the last 'Big Two' meeting between the sides on 3 December.

Donnelly will also miss Saturday's game against Cliftonville at Solitude.

The striker's ban began on 16 December so he would have been scheduled to sit out the BetMcLean Cup quarter-final against Ballymena United on Tuesday night but the postponement of that fixture means he will miss the 26 December encounter at the Oval.

In addition to Donnelly's suspension, the Glens were fined £250 in relation to the incident during their 1-0 victory over the Blues in their BetMcLean Cup last-16 game at Windsor Park.

Donnelly's sanction was imposed in light of Section 17.1 of the Irish Football Association's Disciplinary Code, namely: "A player or official who provokes the general public during a match will be sanctioned with a minimum 2 match standard suspension and a minimum fine of £250 which will be imposed on their club."

Meanwhile Linfield received a £1,000 fine for a breach of Article 28.2 (a) in relation to spectator misconduct during the fixture.

A separate notice of complaint was also issued in respect of the article which prohibits "the invasion or attempted invasion of the field of play" during the same match against Glentoran on 3 December, with a warning issued for that incident.

Glentoran were also handed a £250 fine following the 'Big Two' derby on Friday 22 November at the Oval for the use of flares or fireworks.

Image source, Presseye

Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin says he was "delighted with the response of his players" after they recovered from a 1-0 deficit to beat Crusaders 3-1 in Tuesday's Irish Premiership match at Mourneview Park.

Philip Lowry scored to give Crusaders the lead but Michael O'Connor levelled before the interval, before Peter Campbell's goal and a Jordan Forsythe own goal gave the Lurgan Blues a valuable three points.

"Delighted to get points on the board, especially against a good side like Crusaders," McLaughlin told BBC Sport NI.

"When you go a goal down sometimes you can go under against a side like that. But delighted with our response, getting a goal just before half-time gave us confidence and put us on the front foot again.

"When we did come out again we got into gear fairly quickly. So full credit to our boys, they were excellent, especially in the second half."

McLaughlin praised his side's efforts in defence and attack, especially when conditions were more favourable in the second 45 minutes.

"The conditions probably spoiled the game as a football match in the first half but the second half, with the wind at our backs, we moved the ball a lot quicker and created chances. Every time we went forward we almost scored.

"Our workrate off the ball was fantastic. Our shape and our organisation was really, really good.

"We didn't give them many chances outside of the goal so we have to defend like that, we have to work as hard as that.

"The way we attacked in the second half was excellent. You have to bring that to the table every game."

Image source, Presseye

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell has branded his side's second-half performance in their 3-1 defeat by Glenavon on Tuesday night "totally unacceptable".

Philip Lowry opened the scoring for the Crues but Michael O'Connor equalised at Mourneview Park.

Peter Campbell put the Lurgan Blues in front before Jordan Forsythe's own goal secured a first league win under manager Paddy McLaughlin.

"I thought first half the conditions were difficult for both teams and it was quite scrappy," Caddell told BBC Sport NI.

"The second half was totally unacceptable for ourselves - bad decision-making in major points of the game, poor goals to concede - two counter-attacks.

"That's crept into us lately, which is very uncharacteristic of us in terms of what this club is built on - hard work, dedication and putting your body on the line. That was missing a lot tonight."

Caddell lamented the lack of influence of some of his more experienced players and a second defeat in a row by the same scoreline, his charges having gone down to Glentoran on Friday.

"We came into the game with 10 players out and it was a patch-up job but we had enough experience on the pitch to deal with the game and some of the senior players let down.

"That's two 3-1 defeats in a row and that's hard to take."

Image source, Presseye

Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree says his team was "hugely frustrated" not to pick up any points from Tuesday's 1-0 Premiership defeat by Linfield.

Joel Cooper's second-half goal moved David Healy's side 11 points clear of second-placed Swifts at the summit of the league table.

"There's a massive amount of disappointment in the changing room and I think that's positive. We're hugely frustrated we didn't get something out of the game," said McAree.

"We felt as if our performance was good. We didn't ask Linfield enough questions in the first half but we did better in the second half, we caused a few more problems.

"We created a few opportunities and could have scored a goal and got a result."

The Swifts boss believes his side could have defended what turned out to be the winning goal better.

"Joel turns us probably too easily. He's a quality player and that's why other clubs are maybe looking at him.

"He gets his strike away, we should do better to stop the shot and then it rolls into the corner.

"It's a disappointing goal to concede and it's a disappointing goal to lose the game to."

Image source, Press Eye

Tuesday night's BetMcLean Cup quarter-final between Ballymena United and Glentoran has been postponed because of a waterlogged Showgrounds pitch.

The decision to call the game off was made on Tuesday afternoon after a pitch inspection.

The Sky Blues and Glens will now meet on the rescheduled date of Tuesday, 7 January.

Two Premiership matches on Tuesday night - Dungannon Swifts v Linfield and Glenavon v Crusaders - will go ahead as scheduled.

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Tiernan Lynch will begin his Derry City reign with a daunting trip to face League of Ireland champions Shelbourne.

The Candystripes will travel to Tolka Park on 14 February for their opening game.

Damien Duff's Shels beat Derry at the Brandywell to clinch the Premier Division title in the final game of the 2024 season last month, their first league triumph since 2006.

Derry went on to lose the FAI Cup final to Drogheda, which proved the final game of Ruaidhri Higgins' tenure before Lynch's arrival from Larne.

The opening weekend's fixture programme also includes newly-promoted Cork City v Galway United and St Patrick's Athletic v Drogheda United on 14 February, Sligo Rovers v Waterford on 15 February and Bohemians v Shamrock Rovers at Aviva Stadium on 16 February.

After travelling to Shelbourne, Derry will host Bohemians and Waterford before travelling to St Patrick's Athletic.

Lynch's side will host Drogheda in an FAI Cup final rematch on 11 April.

Derry will make the long trip to newly-promoted Cork City for the final game of the season on 1 November.

The full fixture list can be found here, external.

Image source, Inpho

Glentoran manager Declan Devine has signed a new two-and-a-half year contract to remain at the Oval until 2027.

Devine was appointed in March, initially on an interim basis after Warren Feeney left the role before signing a permanent deal in April.

In his first full campaign in charge, Devine has guided the club to the County Antrim Shield final and quarter-finals of the BetMcLean Cup.

The Glens are fifth in the Irish Premiership table after a squad overhaul which saw 12 new players arrive in east Belfast along with 18 departures.

"I'm fully committed to building something truly special here at Glentoran," said Devine, who won the Irish Cup as a goalkeeper with the club in 1996.

"My vision is to create a team that plays a distinctive style of football, consistently competes for silverware, and brings pride and joy to everyone associated with the club.

"Together, I'm confident we can achieve great things worthy of this club's proud history."

Glentoran owner Ali Pour added that Devine has "been a breath of fresh air" since joining the club.

"This contract reflects our commitment to his long-term vision," he added.

"He is building a culture of excellence and a team that represents the values of Glentoran, both on and off the pitch.

"I have no doubt that with Declan at the helm, we will continue to grow, compete, and make our supporters proud."