We are under way at Solitude Larne get us underway kicking towards the McAlery Stand

Referee Chris Morrison gets us under way at Mourneview Park, where new boss Michael O’Connor takes charge of his first Premiership game, hoping to spark life into the division’s bottom side.

Glenavon are still chasing their first point of the season, so could today be the start of their great escape story?

Manager Lee Feeney names an unchanged Bangor 11 from the side that hammered sorry Glenavon last week at Mourneview Park.

The Seasiders are an impressive sixth in the table in their first season back in the Premiership and will hope to add to their winning run today.

Crusaders boss Declan Caddell makes just the one change from the team that also defeated Glenavon. However, that was some three weeks ago due to match postponements. He will be hoping they don't get caught cold upon their return.

The sides have already met once this season, with Crusaders winning out 3-1 in a feisty affair that saw Bangor finish the game with nine men.

Referee Jamie Robinson will be hoping for a more well-mannered game this afternoon.

Bangor: Deane, Neale, Haughey, Owens, Harrison (C), Hassin, Mulvenna, Arthurs, Lynch, Boyd, Devlin.

Subs: Solis Grogan, O'Mahony, Garrett, Morgan, McGuinness, Mitchell, Cushnie

Crusaders: Tuffey, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Odhran McCart, Williamson, Easton, Dunlop, Anderson, Oli McCart, Bryden, Brooks.

Subs: Nimaga, Hamilton, Barr, Beattie, Donnelly, Ritchie

Image source, BBC Sport

Today's clash at Solitude pits two sides who return to action after a bit of time off. This is the second time these two have met here this season with a 1-1 draw in August. That day, Joe Gormley cancelled out Tiarnan O'Connor's opener and the Cliftonville legend is one goal away from his 300th for the club.

It has been three weeks since Cliftonville last played a league game. That day they lost 2-1 here to Portadown and today's line-up shows three changes from that day. Captain Rory Hale returns from suspension while Thomas Lavery and Adebayo Fapetu also start.

Gary Haveron submits his first team sheet as permanent Larne manager and he also makes three changes from their defeat at Dungannon a fortnight ago. Aaron Donnelly, Conor McKendry and Tiarnan O'Connor start for the visitors

Cliftonville: Morrison, Lavery, Wilson, Hale, Gordon, Gormley, Barr, Glynn, Casey, Kearney, Fapetu

Subs: Ridd, Peper, Addis, Falls, Robertson, McWoods, Sheridan

Larne: Ferguson, Ridley, Donnelly, Gallagher, McKendry, Randall, O'Connor, Graham, Cosgrove, Bent, Lusty

Subs: Graham, O'Neill, Magee, Millar, Moore, Wallace, Simpson

Image source, BBC Sport

Stephen Baxter, who marked his 1000th game in management mid-week, brings his side to Mourneview Park to face a Glenavon side still chasing their first league points of the season.

New boss Michael O’Connor takes charge of his first Premiership fixture after the Lurgan Blues’ Mid-Ulster Cup exit on penalties to Annagh United, making four changes as Harry Murphy, Barney McKeown, Sean Carlin and Paul McGovern all come in.

Carrick Rangers, fresh from a County Antrim Shield shoot-out win over Glentoran, also ring the changes, with Nathan Gartside replacing Scott Pengelly in goal while Danny Gibson, Luke McCullough, Paul Heatley and Matthew Snoddy are also handed starts.

Glenavon: Byrne, McMullan, Burns, Murphy, McKeown (C), Malone, O’Kane, O’Connor, Smith, Carlin, McGovern.

Subs: Cartwright, McDaid, McClelland, Lomboto, Kee, Bosakani, Quinn.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside, Callacher, Waide, Gibson, McCullough (C), Steele, Crowe, Heatley, Snoddy, McKay, Scott.

Subs: Pengelly, Burns, Buchanan-Rolleston, Boyd, Cherry, James, McCawl.

Image source, BBC Sport

In-form Dungannon Swifts return to the Showgrounds for a second time in two months to face new league leaders Coleraine.

Bannsiders' boss Ruaidhri Higgins makes two changes to the team which defeated Ballymena United in last week's derby.

Rowan McDonald drops out of the squad through injury while Kodi Lyons-Foster is named among the replacements. In their place come Charles Dunne, making his first start since August, and fellow defender Cameron Stewart.

Visiting manager Rodney McAree opts for two switches following last week's victory over Glentoran as Bobby-Jack McAleese and Peter Maguire drop to the bench with Caolan Marron and captain Gael Bigirimana taking their places in the starting line-up.

Coleraine: Harris, Jarvis, Boyle, Patching, Shevlin, Cooper, Ives (c), Glackin, Dunne, Stewart, Okoro.

Subs: Hoey-Kemp, Kane, Long, Lyons-Foster, McGregor, McManus, Devlin.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Scott, Marron, Kelly, Dillon, Alves, Glenny, Wallace, Bigirimana, Junior, McAllister.

Subs: Henderson, P. Maguire, Knowles, McGinty, T. Maguire, McAleese, Mitchell.

Image source, BBC Sport

Oran Kearney
Former Coleraine manager on Sportsound

It is a lot of wins to pick up in a short period of time [for Glenavon].

You can say when it gets to the split at end of the season and the bottom six play each other that there is possibly a little bit more that can be picked up.

The issue is, will Glenavon be down and out by that stage?

Having completed a lengthy suspension carried over from last season, Dylan Connolly makes his first league appearance of the season for Glentoran after making his return in the midweek County Antrim Shield defeat at Carrick.

Ryan Cooney also returns for the Glens, who will have former Northern Ireland international Paddy McCourt in charge as Declan Devine continues to serve a touchline ban.

Success Edogun and Daithi McCallion, who started United's midweek Shield win over Newington retain their places, with the remainder of the side unchanged from that which started last weeked's league defeat by Coleraine.

Glentoran: Mills, Cooney, McEleney, Kane, Coll, Singleton, Thomson, Palmer, Connolly, Jenkins, Hoban.

Subs: Beimers, Kelly, Pattisson, Ferris, Kamson Kamara, Fisher, Russell.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Toure, McCallion, O'Donnell, Clarke, Thompson, Nelson, Corbally, Kennedy, McCurry, Edogun.

Subs: Breen, Lafferty, Gould, Gawne, Jarvis, O'Connor, McNickle.

Image source, BBC Sport

Liam Beckett
Sportsound summariser

Portadown were really good value for their win and Linfield can't have too many complaints.

I thought Portadown were excellent from the first whistle to last.

An impressive stat from Marshall Gillespie about Stephen Baxter, who marked his 1000th game as a manager during the week. Quite a landmark for the former Crues boss.

During the week Carrick defeated Glentoran to knock the holders out of the County Antrim Shield.

Today, his side travel to Mourneview to face bottom of the table Glenavon.

Image source, BBC Sport NI

Gary Haveron was appointed as permanent Larne manager on a three-year deal earlier this week.

The 44-year-old had been in interim charge of the club since August after Nathan Rooney left the Inver Reds following the first game of the season.

The east Antrim club sit third in the Premiership table after having played nine games and were unbeaten during his latest time at the helm until going down 2-0 to Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park on 4 October.

"I'm very proud and honoured to be asked to take this on," Haveron said on the Larne FC website.

"It's a club which is obviously very close to my heart. I feel now is the time to take the step up and take this role on.

"I have a great faith in the people we have at this club and ultimately football always will be about the players and I have great faith in these players.

"When I look at the players I have real belief that they will allow us to continue to compete for honours across the Irish League."

Read more about Haveron's appointment here.

Image source, Pacemaker

Carrick Rangers knocked holders Glentoran out of the County Antrim Shield with a 5-4 penalty shootout win at Taylors Avenue on Tuesday night.

Jimmy Callacher headed Carrick in front before Joe Thomson equalised from the penalty spot for Declan Devine's side after Marcus Kane was fouled in the box.

MJ Kamson-Kamara put the Glens in front with his first goal for the club, but Jack Scott levelled for the hosts by firing home from the spot 10 minutes from time.

With no extra-time played in the County Antrim Shield, the game went straight to penalties and Thomson was the only player to miss in the shootout, hitting the post with the Glens' first spot-kick.

In Tuesday's other quarter-final, Ben Kennedy's second-half penalty helped Ballymena United beat Championship side Newington 1-0 to progress.

There are two more quarter-finals on Tuesday, 21 October as Cliftonville face Linfield at Solitude and last year's beaten finalists Larne travel to Premier Intermediate side Ballymacash Rangers.

Image source, Pacemaker

Glentoran will face Crusaders in one of two all-Irish Premiership ties in the second round of the BetMcLean Cup.

The other will see in-form Bangor travel to Larne and ties will be played on Tuesday, 4 and Wednesday, 5 November.

Holders Cliftonville will host Premier Intermediate side Stranbane Athletic, who defeated Loughgall in the first round.

Linfield have been drawn with H&W Welders and Glenavon, who announced Michael O'Connor as manager on Saturday, will travel to Newry City.

Ballymena United will host Newington and Coleraine will take on Armagh City, who stunned Carrick Rangers in round one, and Moyola Park will travel to Dungannon Swifts in the other second round ties.

Image source, Presseye

Larne this week announced the signing of teenage midfielder Cormac Austin on a deal until the end of the season.

The 19-year-old defensive midfielder joins the Inver outfit after a successful trial period with the club.

Austin had spells at Cliftonville and Linfield's academies, making his professional debut for the Blues as a 16-year-old.

He then made the move to Crystal Palace in 2022, signing a three-year deal and playing for both their under-18 and under-23 sides.

"I'm delighted to be here. Having been in on trial for the past while, I've had the chance to adapt to all of the boys and they've all been really good with me," Austin told Larne's website.

"Coming back from England, I'm here to prove myself and continue my development, but I want to win things.

"I want to win at all costs, that's what keeps me happy and I'm sure the supporters would be happy with that too."

Image source, Getty Images

Portadown boss Niall Currie said that his side's display in their 2-0 win over Linfield was "as good as it gets".

Second-half goals from Baris Altintop and James Teelan helped the Ports record their first home win over the Blues since February 2016.

And Currie was delighted with his team's display in response to last week's disappointing league defeat against Carrick Rangers.

"Tonight was as good as it gets. One to 11 we were unbelievable," he told BBC Sport NI.

"We were a threat, our wingers were fantastic as were our number nine, midfielders and backline and our goalkeeper was outstanding, making some huge saves at really critical times.

"From I came back to the club this is as good a performance I have had the pleasure of watching."

Read more of Currie's post-match comments here.

Image source, Pacemaker

Linfield manager David Healy told BBC Sport NI that he "nearly booed himself" after watching his side's "unacceptable" performance on their 2-0 defeat by Portadown at Shamrock Park on Friday night.

Second-half goals from Baris Altintop and James Teelan secured an impressive victory for Niall Currie's side and condemned the champions to a second reverse on the road during this campaign.

"Really disappointing. Our performance levels were nowhere near the expected levels," said Healy.

"That's why we lost. Our attitude was wrong, which is even more disappointing, because I thought we had prepared going into the game. But obviously not.

"I'll have a hard look at that. I've said to the players that I think we have 15 players out of contract this year and to be honest looking at tonight I'm not in a hurry to renegotiate anything with anybody at the minute until we find out where we are as a group."

Read more of the Blues manager's post-match comments here.

Image source, Inpho

Watch highlights as Portadown defeat Linfield 2-0 in Friday night's Premiership game at Shamrock Park.

Read the match report here.

Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of what promises to be an exciting afternoon of Irish Premiership football.

The weekend's top-flight action began on Friday night as Portadown secured a 2-0 win over champions Linfield at Shamrock Park, an outcome which left Blues' boss David Healy scathing about the performance of his side.

Today, Coleraine will look to consolidate their position at the top of the league table as they host a Dungannon Swifts side which has recovered from a poor start to the campaign to make it five wins from six in the top division.

The Bannsiders themselves bounced back from two defeats in three by seeing off derby rivals Ballymena United comprehensively seven days ago.

Second-placed Glentoran host the Sky Blues today at the Oval while third-placed Larne return to action by travelling to face Cliftonville.

The Solitude encounter will be Gary Haveron's first since being confirmed as the club's manager on a three-year deal after an interim spell in charge.

Michael O'Connor meanwhile has his first league game in charge of Glenavon when his charges play Carrick Rangers at Mourneview Park.

The Lurgan Blues are still searching for their first league point of the season more than two months into the 2025-26 term.

Bangor will aim to make it three wins in a row when they play Crusaders at Clandeboye Park.

As always, we will have live audio and text coverage of all the day's matches, with Sportsound on air from 14:00 to 18:00 BST, plus live text commentary, in-play clips, and then a report and highlights from all five fixtures.

Stay with us throughout the afternoon, you won't miss a thing!

Image source, BBC Sport