Linfield boss David Healy admits his players can only keep winning and hope that an almighty collapse from Crusaders allows the Blues back into the title race. 

Ballymena boss David Jeffrey says he wants his players to take each game as it comes in order to consolidate the Sky Blues's position in the top-six of the table. 

Both managers make several changes for today's game after defeats last time out. Jay Donnelly has been dropped to the Cliftonville bench after his penalty miss against Linfield on Monday night. 

GLENAVON: Tuffey, Kelly, Lindsay, Marshall, Cooper, Hall, McGrory, Turner, Singleton, Bates, Gray

David Healy says it will take 'an almighty collapse' by Crusaders to give his Linfield team any chance of winning the Premiership title.

Still, the Blues are doing their bit to keep this two-horse race alive. The only problem is the reigning champions keep winning too.

The Crues play Ballinamallard on Monday night, and will be expected to secure another three points.

"It is up to us to do our job. We need to beat Ards and Ballinamallard before we play Crusaders," said Linfield manager Healy whose side can narrow the gap to four points with victory at Windsor Park this afternoon.

Image source, BBC Sport

Cliftonville boss Gerard Lyttle  says he is fed up with excuses as the Reds try to turn things around coming into the business end of the season. 

Gary Thompson captains Ballymena today in Jim Ervin's absence through suspension. Nacho Novo is in the starting line-up for Glentoran.

Oran Kearney is treating this afternoon's encounter with Glenavon as an opportunity to clinch another valuable three points as the Bannsiders look to stretch their unbeaten run to 12 games. 

Dungannon boss Rodney McAree wants to see more from his players after last week's 2-0 defeat to Glenavon as they welcome Cliftonville to Stangmore today on the back of a five-game winless run. 

Glenavon assistant manager Paul Millar says they will need to be at the top of their game to stop Coleraine and Eoin Bradley, who has rediscovered his scoring touch after leaving the Mourneview Park outfit in January. 

Well, mathematically the Premiership title race will go on if Linfield fail to beat Ards, but Windsor Park boss David Healy believes his team must win today and against Ballinamallard next week to have any chance of catching the pacesetting Crues.

The Blues are seven points back with just seven games left so it's a tall order for Healy's men, but as we all know football's a funny old game and many a team has surrendered a big lead in the heat of the title run-in. Crusaders will have an eye of proceedings at Windsor ahead of their Monday night game with the Mallards

There's a big showdown at the other end of the table with a basement battle between the bottom two. Portadown are 11 points adrift of Carrick and it would be something of a footballing miracle for Niall Currie's side to avoid the drop. 

Cliftonville and Coleraine are battling it out for third spot and qualification for Europe next season. The Reds, who are a point clear of the Bannsiders, are at Dungannon Swifts while Coleraine take on Glenavon at Mourneview Park. Don't rule out Ballymena, who are sitting close behind in fifth as they prepare to host Glentoran.

Stay with us for the build-up, updates and reaction on what promises to be another thrilling afternoon of local football.