Irish League Football

Image source, BBC Sport

Ballymena United's Irish Premiership home game against Larne has been postponed following a pitch inspection.

The game at the Showgrounds was called off following an inspection at 11:00 on Saturday morning.

The fixture has been rescheduled for Tuesday 11 March at 19:45 GMT.

Saturday's other Irish Premiership game involving Coleraine and Portadown as well as the three Irish Cup ties are still set to go ahead.

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Bangor manager Lee Feeney praised his players for "emptying the tank" in their shock 3-1 Irish Cup quarter-final win over Glentoran at Clandeboye Park on Friday night.

Ben Arthurs, Ben Cushnie and captain Lewis Harrison were on target as the Championship leaders established a 3-0 lead by the interval.

Despite Charlie Lindsay's second-half consolation goal for the Glens, the north Down side went on to secure a memorable victory over their Premiership opponents.

"I'm delighted for the players. They emptied the tank and that had to happen for us to win that game," said Feeney after the match.

"Everyone on the pitch gave everything they had, you couldn't ask for much more. When you play those full-time teams, you have to be in and around the ball and not give them space.

"That's why we tried to crowd the midfield and not sit off them and let them knock the ball about. It took hard work for that to happen."

Feeney was preparing to give his half-time team talk to reflect a two-goal half-time advantage when his side added their third goal one minute before the interval.

"We got a very important goal before half-time which changed things as we were thinking more defensively and instead of being on the front foot again, we said we'll try and hold onto our three-goal lead.

"But they started to get the upper hand we felt we had to sit off a bit and there was nothing wrong with that.

"It was a horrible goal to give away, but it says a lot for us that after a game like that we were disappointed to concede in the manner that we did."

The Bangor boss said his side were deserved winners.

"We were super and deserved it. Our aim was to come here and compete.

"There were people here who have maybe never been here to watch the team before and were maybe thinking, 'I'll give this a go', and then going 'you know what I enjoyed that'."

The Seasiders are eight points clear at the top of the Championship as they chase promotion to the top flight.

"Winning the league is my priority. It will be a far bigger achievement than this," Feeney emphasised.

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Glentoran manager Declan Devine lamented his side's "totally unacceptable performance" in their 3-1 Irish Cup quarter-final defeat by Bangor at Clandeboye Park.

First-half goals from Ben Arthurs, Ben Cushnie and Lewis Harrison had the Championship leaders 3-0 ahead at the break and Charlie Lindsay's 70th-minute deflected strike proved to be a mere consolation.

"We warned the team that was possible here tonight. They obviously didn't take on board what I had to say and we apologise to the people who got behind us tonight," said an angry Glens boss after the game.

"Everything was missing in the first half - pride, passion, energy, quality on the ball, an ability to defend long balls.

"We warned them all week this was the potential of a good Bangor side and it's a really tough one to take. As a group we have to take a long hard look at ourselves."

Devine went on to criticise the lack of "fight" shown by his players.

"We lost the fight, we didn't show enough fight, enough hunger and desire to represent the club tonight. That's the thing that has really riled me.

"The goals we gave away were really poor, horrendous goals. We panicked, we showed a real anxiety and nervousness about our defensive duties.

"We have nowhere near arrived yet, we have a lot of work to do and tonight proved that."

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Cliftonville midfielder Rory Hale says the players involved in Saturday's Irish Cup quarter-final against derby rivals Crusaders at Seaview should require little motivating.

The Reds are aiming to successfully defend the trophy they won by defeating Linfield in last year's showpiece decider at Windsor Park.

"It's a massive game - away to Crusaders, Irish Cup quarter-final - if you can't get pumped up for those sort of games you shouldn't be playing football," Hale told BBC Sport NI.

Cliftonville go into the knockout meeting with their neighbours on the back of a 2-0 win over Glentoran last weekend, a result which has given them a boost after an inconsistent run of league form.

"We've got a bit of confidence from that win over the Glens and we hope we can bring it into Saturday," added the influential Reds midfielder.

Crusaders, Irish Cup winners in both 2022 and 2023, have won six of their past seven matches in all competitions, a fact not lost on Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton.

"It's a mouth-watering tie against a team who are on a wonderful run - we're keen to overcome that because we're desperate to hang onto that trophy," said the Reds boss.

"It's one of those that when it comes out of the hat you recoil a little but for the neutral and for the Irish Cup it's a magnificent game.

"It's a quarter-final against your nearest rivals away from home and it's all hands to the pump. It's about showing that character and resilience that's in the team. It's a great tie to look forward to."

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell meanwhile is a firm believer in the old adage that form goes out the window for derby ties.

"We've been on a good run of late, trying to build that momentum and we've been finding different ways to win, which is really pleasing.

"But momentum goes out the window when it's a north Belfast derby - it's a huge game of football and so much at stake for both teams.

"We'll both do our homework, both prepare well and the better team will come out on top on the day."

Saturday's other Irish Cup quarter-finals see Carrick Rangers host Dungannon Swifts and Championship side Ards at home to Premiership strugglers Loughgall.

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Glentoran manager Declan Devine says his side will have to be at their best to overcome Championship leaders Bangor in their Irish Cup quarter-final tie at Clandeboye Park on Friday, a match which will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

The Glens' 16-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end with a 2-0 Premiership defeat by Cliftonville last week.

Having already collected the County Antrim Shield in January however, Declan Devine's charges remain on course for further knockout trophy success ahead of their meeting with the second tier pacesetters in the Irish Cup, before a BetMcLean Cup final date with Cliftonville on 9 March.

"Tough game, a tough venue, a team that's really on form," summed up Devine of the task awaiting his side against the Seasiders.

"I went to see them [Bangor] on Saturday [a 3-0 Championship win away to Armagh City] and they were 3-0 up at half-time and could have been five or six up.

"They have a real high level goal threat in the final third."

Lee Feeney's team have built up an eight-point lead at the summit of the Championship as they seek a long-awaited return to the top division.

"It's good to see Bangor back really growing as a club again and with the potential to go back into the top flight as they have had some tough years," added Devine.

"The players are fully informed of their strengths and we know that on Friday night we have to be really at it in terms of our willingness to defend and attack and play with the qualities we've played with for a long period of time to get through this tie."

The Glens have defeated near neighbours Harland & Wolff Welders and cross-city rivals Linfield to reach the last eight of the competition while Bangor have beaten Newington and Annagh United to book their berth.

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Portadown and Linfield have expressed "extreme" and "deep" disappointment after the Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] declined to offer compensation to supporters financially impacted by the late postponements of Irish Premiership games on 7 December.

Despite an amber weather warning being issued the previous day because of the impending arrival of Storm Darragh, NIFL opted not to postpone any of the six scheduled fixtures at that stage but the games were then called off at short notice on the Saturday.

Portadown's game at Coleraine was postponed an hour before the kick-off with Linfield's contest at Dungannon Swifts called off 70 minutes prior to the scheduled start.

NIFL Chief executive Gerard Lawlor later said the league governing body would look at the option of reimbursing supporters but the Portadown and Linfield statements said that it instead had decided to make a donation to charity.

"Portadown FC had three supporters clubs buses as well as a team bus travel to Coleraine at a total cost of £2,010, with invoices submitted to NIFL as requested. Therefore, we were dismayed to learn that NIFL instead would look to make a donation to charity," said the club's statement.

"While charitable donations are of course always welcome, unfortunately this gesture does nothing to help our supporters clubs at a time when many are struggling to cover the price of hiring buses because of rising transport costs."

The Portadown statement added that it was "unacceptable that our supporters clubs have been left substantially out of pocket for what was an unnecessary and needless journey, and also deeply let down that they will not be compensated as was publicly suggested".

"We will now consider our options, but as a sign of appreciation to our supporters clubs who have travelled the width and breadth of the country all season, we will endeavour to make sure that we assist them financially, so that they do not have to fully burden the cost of decisions that were out of their control."

Linfield's statement said: "This outcome is deeply disappointing for the club and its supporters clubs as expectations were raised that a goodwill gesture would be forthcoming to compensate supporters clubs for the unnecessary travel."

The Belfast club added that it would cover 50% of the travel costs incurred by its supporters on 7 December and had accepted NIFL's offer to make a charitable donation, which will go to the club's main charity partner, the NI Children's Hospice.

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After Larne got the better of Loughgall 4-1 draw at Lakeview Park, BBC Sport NI got the views of Inver Reds boss Gary Haveron and the host's first-team coach Daniel Wright.

Haveron on the result:

"It's never easy to come down here, it's a really difficult place to come down and play.

"You just see the results, everyone struggles down here, there's usually just the odd goal in it.

"So to win 4-1 was very pleasing, to get the goals we've been lacking was pleasing. Job done and we get up the road."

On going fifth in the table, still with games in hand:

"At one point had we won our games in hand we'd have been up there challenging at the top of the table.

"It's getting over the line and getting the games won. We go to Ballymena on Saturday, a really tricky play to go and play, it's another grass pitch probably not in the best condition because of the atrocious weather we've had.

"It's going to be another really difficult game where we'll have to go and grind out a result."

Wright on the defeat:

"We just lost our way in the second half. We played to their strengths, allowed them to get on the ball a bit more. They found spaces in behind us and we never really recovered.

"We're really disappointed because we honestly believed there was a chance there tonight. It hasn't worked out for us and it's frustrating."

On conceding five minutes into the second half

"That's the story of our season, we've conceded goals at awful times of the game.

"It's never a good time to concede but when you're coming out at the start of the second half, you want 10 or 15 minutes to get a feel for it and get to grips with the game.

"On too many occasions we haven't allowed ourselves to do that."

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After the sides played out a 0-0 draw at Taylors Avenue, a game in which Kyle Cherry missed a penalty, BBC Sport NI caught up with Carrick Rangers boss Stephen Baxter and Loughgall coach Daniel Wright.

Baxter on the game:

"Huge disappointment because our first half performance was good, we miss a penalty and we had three huge opportunities. We don't turn that into goals and the game should be well out of sight but it's not. Very frustrated, to miss opportunities from penalties is just wrong.

Wright on the game:

"It was a relatively poor game of football, it was cagey. The game lacked quality in key moments. It was a brilliant save from Nathan again today from the penalty, it impacts the game and the result so we're grateful that he's there.

On the chances of Loughgall avoiding relegation:

"Until mathematically it's not possible that we can stay up we are more than up for the fight and our belief is the same. We are going out every game trying to get three points. It can feel like two points dropped today but on analysis of the game, I don't think anyone deserved to win it. "

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After Ballymena United's 2-0 win against Portadown, BBC Sport NI caught up with Sky Blues boss Jim Ervin and Ports manager Niall Currie.

Ervin on picking up a first win of the year:

"It has been a difficult period with injuries and suspensions, we've had players playing through injuries and a bench full of youth team players. I asked the players to give me everything and from start to finish, we were brilliant, and the players got their rewards today which was very pleasing."

On James Hood's first goal for the club:

"He is 17, a hometown boy and he has been exceptional for us. He probably didn't expect to start today but we believe in him and trust him. I am over the moon for him, what a way to score your first goal for the club! He doesn't look like a 17-year-old on the pitch."

Currie on the defeat:

"I'm disappointed, it was a helter-skelter game, we missed chances, didn't manage the game properly and didn't keep our discipline. It wasn't to be today; we didn't start with the intensity we have in previous games. Credit to Ballymena, we played into their hands and were feeding off scraps."

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After Dungannon Swifts' 1-0 win over Larne, BBC Sport NI caught up with Inver boss Gary Haveron and Swifts manager Rodney McAree.

Haveron on Larne's lack of conviction:

"For long periods we asked so many questions, we got in behind time and time again and I can't believe we haven't got a goal, we were just wasteful. I was heartbroken for the boys to come in at half-time 1-0 down because they played so well the first 35 minutes. Everything seems to be going against us, the one chance they get they score."

McAree on the game and importance of the victory:

"I thought we started the game poorly, we go in fortunate enough at 1-0 up at half-time but second half we showed composure and experience and managed to get over the line. It's a fantastic result and any three points are valuable, we will just keep challenging ourselves, we've done ever so well to have 46 points at this stage."