Irish League Football

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Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton praised the impact of Australian winger Alex Parsons as he scored in the Reds' 3-0 win against Carrick Rangers.

Parsons opened his account for the club on his first start when he rifled home a second in the first half after Rory Hale had broke the deadlock in the first half.

Stephen McGuinness added a late third for the Reds and Magilton was pleased by what he saw from Parsons, who arrived from Brisbane Roar in January.

"It was a great finish he showed real glimpses tonight of his quality and had one or two other opportunities," Magilton told BBC Sport NI.

"He's only really in the door but we thought it was time to get him on the pitch and he got 70 minutes which will stand him in good stead and hopefully that goal will get him off to a flying start."

The victory halted a run of three games without a win in the league for the Reds and moves them up to sixth in the table.

"We know Carrick will always carry a massive threat and they did, but I thought we controlled large parts of the game and took our goals really well," he added.

Watch the highlights as Cliftonville ease to a comfortable 3-0 win against Carrick Rangers at Solitude.

Read the report here.

Watch as Larne striker Andy Ryan is sent off for a tackle on Kyle McClean in Larne's 1-0 defeat against leaders Linfield.

Read more here.

Larne boss Gary Haveron said that the club have already launched an appeal against the red card shown to Andy Ryan in their 1-0 loss against Linfield.

Ryan was controversially dismissed by referee Shane Andrews before half-time for a challenge on Kyle McClean.

Haveron also believed that the officials missed a foul on Ryan Nolan in the build-up to Kieran Offord scoring the winner for the Blues.

"I think some of the big decisions did go against us and we have launched an appeal which is a clear indication of how we feel about it," he said.

"The decisions made change the outcome of the game. I felt it was a clear and obvious foul for the goal, you can see Offord steps across the line of the defender, he bumps him [Nolan] and then Offord scores from it."

The Larne boss has called for an improvement across the board from officials in the league.

"I understand it is an incredibly difficult job, but with the amount of money the clubs are paying for referees, it is a hell of an expense, so you expect a certain standard."

The defeat against the Blues left the back-to-back Irish Premiership champions with a mountain to climb in their quest for third successive Gibson Cup.

They are now 25 points behind leaders Linfield, with five games in hand, but Haveron insists they will keep pushing to at least seal European qualification

"It is not over, so until it is we will keep fighting for what we want."

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Linfield boss David Healy said beating 10-man Larne at Windsor Park was "crucial" to their hopes of winning the Irish Premiership title.

In a game of few chances, Kieran Offord scored the winner with his first goal for the Blues to move them 20 points clear of nearest challengers Glentoran, who have three games in hand.

And despite his dissatisfaction with their performance, Healy was pleased that they were able to extend the gap between them and champions Larne to 25 points, albeit the Inver side have five games in hand.

"Delighted with the three points, the red card was the game changing moment. I don't think there was too much in the game," he told BBC Sport NI.

"To win the game of this magnitude is crucial at this stage. We spoke about playing on the front foot and wanting to make an impression. Did we do that? We eventually got there."

The Blues boss said it was "not my decision" when asked his view on Ryan's red card for a challenge on Kyle McClean.

He praised the contribution of Offord, who has now scored 11 Irish Premiership goals this season, after netting 10 during his loan spell at Crusaders.

"We won it with a moment of Kieran switching on. He has scored so many of those goals at Crusaders in and around the six-yard box and that is what I enjoy about his goal tonight," Healy added.

"I thought he could have been better, but he is only new. He is a huge talent, and he has energy to burn."

Despite their substantial lead, Healy is keen to keep his players grounded as they look to win the Gibson Cup for the first time since the 2021-2022 season.

"We keep them focused by telling them there are 10 games left. There are 30 points up for grabs and we need to maximise the number of points we get.

"We're in a strong position; it moves us a bit further away [from Larne] which is the main thing tonight."

Watch highlights as Kieran Offord opens his account for Linfield with a cool finish to help them beat 10-man Larne 1-0 at Windsor Park.

Read the report here.

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Linfield boss David Healy says the Premiership leaders have to improve for Tuesday night's meeting with champions Larne at Windsor Park.

Healy was disappointed with his side's display in the 2-2 away draw against Ballymena United on Friday night.

The Blues sit 22 points clear of Larne although the Inver Reds have five games in hand going into a match which will be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website.

"We're at home and we want to beat Larne - we'll need to be better that's for sure," said Healy.

"Two good teams will go head-to-head and go at it. We know the importance of it and there's a lot still to play for.

"The message is - be better than we were [at Ballymena], improve on some of the things we weren't so good at, go and try to force yourselves on Larne and make it a good game."

Larne failed to capitalise on Linfield dropping points when they lost 1-0 to Crusaders at Inver Park a day later.

It was a big blow to their hopes of a third straight title but manager Gary Haveron is now focusing on narrowing the gap to the pacesetters.

"You've got to look forward going to Windsor, it's another challenge and another three points that's up for grabs.

"It's a big ask - I was at their game on Friday night and they were missing a few players.

"We'll go there, like we do every game and prepare as best we can to get three points out of the match."

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Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton lamented the manner of the goals Cliftonville conceded as they twice surrendered a lead to draw 2-2 with Portadown at Solitude.

Ryan Curran and Rory Hale scored for the Reds, who were pegged back by a fine Ahu Obhakhan finish and a late Josh Ukek goal.

The draw means that Cliftonville have won just one of their last seven league games and they sit seventh in the table.

"After we scored the second goal, we just needed to be well organised and recognise they would play on the counter, but we were careless and didn't do enough to see the game out," he said.

"We lacked game understanding and at this level that can cost you. There was a naivety in our play."

Magilton was critical of his side's inability to stop Lee Chapman's delivery from the right and of Odumosu's error, as he dropped the ball at Ukek's feet, allowing the forward to tuck home into an empty net.

"We had an experience left back who didn't stop that cross and the goalkeeper should collect that, it is standard practice for a keeper of his quality," he explained.

"We watched a lot of Portadown, we knew they would put those deliveries in and in the end, we were hanging on in a game when I didn't think we should have been, because Portadown ended the game as the aggressor."

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Portadown manager Niall Currie praised his side's "character" as they twice fought back to draw 2-2 with Cliftonville at Solitude.

Ahu Obhakhan's superb flick cancelled out Ryan Curran's opener, with Josh Ukek pouncing on a David Odumosu mistake to rescue a point after Rory Hale had put the Reds back in front.

And whilst pleased to come away with a positive result, Currie was slightly disappointed that they didn't take home all three points after a dominant end to the game.

"I haven't had too many good experiences down here, so when you come down here and you are taking a point away it is always a good result," he said.

"I thought the second half performance was outstanding; we gave away poor goals which is very frustrating but that save at the death from Odumosu [from a Ben Wylie shot] that is one of the best saves I have seen, we thought it was in.

"So, we come away a bit frustrated because the last 10-15 minutes we had Cliftonville on the ropes and we were creating chances, but if you had have said to me before the game would you have taken a point, I would have said yes."

The draw moves the Ports into fifth in the table, but Currie admits he is not focusing on securing a top six spot at this stage, but rather on building on their positive first campaign back in the top-flight.

"Whatever happens, happens, we are massively overachieving we came into the season wanting 10th place," he explained.

"We have had a big overhaul of players, but we are in our rightful place, we have been very competitive against everyone, if we can cut out the poor goals we are conceding, we carry a real threat offensively.

"It takes a bit of character to come back twice so I'm proud, because we were every bit a match for Cliftonville over the 90 minutes."

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Glentoran manager Declan Devine says his side have "a lot of goals left to achieve" after clinching their first silverware for five years when they lifted the County Antrim Shield by beating Larne in the decider at Seaview in January.

The Shield triumph helped Devine win the January Northern Ireland Football Writers' Manager of the Month award.

The Glens lie second in the Irish Premiership table, 17 points behind leaders Linfield but with two games in hand, as they aim to secure the runner-up spot which would guarantee them European qualification.

The east Belfast side are well in the running to increase their trophy haul this term, as they will face Cliftonville in the BetMcLean Cup final on 9 March and have reached the last eight of the Irish Cup, in which they will play Bangor on 28 February.

"There are good opportunities and we want to take every opportunity afforded to us," said Devine.

"At a club of the magnitude of Glentoran it's an expectation [to win trophies]. We were delighted [to win the Shield] but it comes with the territory. It was an amazing night and seeing the supporters, a lot of supporters haven't seen Glentoran lift a trophy in a long time.

"Some of the players were playing in their first final and collecting their first winners' medal. A lot of young players there, three or four players that have come through the academy."

In addition to collecting the Shield during January, the Glens progressed through two rounds of the Irish Cup, including a dramatic last-16 win over Belfast 'Big Two' rivals Linfield, won two BetMcLean Cup ties to reach the March final and took a win and a draw from the two league matches they played.

"It's been frantic to say the least. We've had a lot of high intensity games and difficult games," said Devine.

"Between the players and the backroom team they have all worked so hard to get through a really difficult period – winning a trophy and still going unbeaten. It's testimony to the group."

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Coleraine manager Dean Shiels was delighted that his side "found a way to win" as they edged Carrick Rangers 1-0 to get back to winning ways in the Irish Premiership.

Rhyss Campbell scored a scrappy second half winner as the Bannsiders ended a three-game winless streak in the league and picked up their first league win in 2025.

And Shiels was proud that side his side showed a doggedness to help see out the narrow victory.

"We won ugly, we had to be concentrated the whole 90 minutes and sometimes it's about finding a way," he told BBC Sport NI.

"Rhyss has popped up with some important goals for us and that's another one. I felt we deserved it, we kept knocking on the door and then we managed to see it out," Shiels continued.

"We know we can win by playing really good football but sometimes you have to win ugly, and we proved that today. We feel like we have momentum now, so we need to keep pushing."

'Lapses in concentration are costing us dearly'

Carrick Rangers boss Stephen Baxter expressed his frustration with the goal they conceded as his side's winless run in the league stretched to seven games.

"It was such a terrible goal to concede, the way it crawls over the line and people don't defend the box, it was a terrible way to lose the match," he said.

"We have battled bravely the last two or three games but those lapses in concentration are costing us dearly."

The result leaves Carrick in the promotion/relegation play-off place, nine points behind Glenavon who have a game in hand.

Despite their precarious position, Baxter is confident that his side can start picking up results by staying calm.

"We're in an awkward position but you can't start losing faith, we have to make sure there is no panic around, we need to find solutions," he added.

"The team is playing well so let's hope they pick up some results."

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Larne boss Gary Haveron said he was "bitterly disappointed" by the manner of his side's 1-0 defeat against Crusaders at Inver Park.

The Crues opened the scoring against the run of play through Jordan Forsythe in the first half and managed to nullify Larne's attacking threat to take home all three points.

Haveron was frustrated that his side lacked quality in the final third despite their dominance in the game, with Larne now 22 points behind leaders Linfield with five games in hand after the loss.

"For all the possession that we had we just haven't done enough, we haven't created enough clear-cut chances and when we did get in behind, we seemed to hit Jimmy Callacher with every ball," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We've got done with the one chance they had and that is bitterly disappointing. We were flat and didn't hit the heights we expected of ourselves."

'We deserved the three points'

Opposition manager Declan Caddell praised the disciplined display from his Crusaders side as they picked up a win that moves them up to fourth in the table.

"It's a hard place to come and get a result, but we were outstanding to a man, we had the work ethic and desire, and we deserved the three points," he said.

"I thought the goal was brilliant and was probably overshadowed by the defensive display, we had to soak up a lot of pressure and we knew that would happen, and we were comfortable with it."

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Ballymena boss Jim Ervin said that his side's dramatic 2-2 draw with Linfield was a "hard pill to swallow".

After falling behind to Matthew Fitzpatrick's opener, the Sky Blues levelled through Donal Rocks before taking the lead in injury time through a Patrick McEleney penalty.

Kyle McClean salvaged a point for leaders Linfield with an 100th-minute equaliser, which was deflating for Ervin and his players.

"It feels like a defeat, I don't know what to say I'm gutted," he told BBC Sport NI.

"The boys went a goal down early on after a mistake, but the response was great, and I think if we came away with three points anyone who was watching would not have disagreed," Ervin continued.

"We have to take the positives, we went toe to toe with the league leaders and should have got three points, so we need to build on that."

Ervin refused to be drawn on whether he thought the Blues' late equaliser should have been ruled out after Ballymena players claimed that there was a foul on Caolan Loughran in the build-up to the goal.

"I'm not going to comment, I haven't seen it back and emotions are high, so I don't want to say something and get myself in trouble."

League leaders Linfield moved 20 points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership but needed a last-gasp equaliser from Kyle McClean to salvage a 2-2 draw against Ballymena United.

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