Irish Premiership: As it happened

Summary

Ards 1-0 Carrick Rangers
Ballinamallard Utd 0-1 Dungannon Sw
Coleraine 1-1 Ballymena United
Crusaders 2-0 Cliftonville
Glenavon 1-0 Warrenpoint Town
Glentoran 2-1 Linfield

Live Reporting

Richard Petrie and Lyle Jackson

Tipton wants end to defensive mistakespublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Glenavon v Warrenpoint Town
Matt Tipton takes his Warrernpoint team to Mourneview hoping to plug a few gaps in defence.
Media caption,
Warrenpoint manager Matthew Tipton
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Team Newspublished at 14:22 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Ballinamallard United v Dungannon Swifts
Ballinamallard have won one and drawn two of their 20 top-flight games so far - a record which they know must improve if they are to stave off relegation.
Dungannon are on a poor run of form too - one point from their last four league games.
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'New' holders of Steel Cuppublished at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Linfield Swifts 0-1 Newington
Yesterday Newington lifted the Steel and Sons Cup for the first time after a 1-0 win over Linfield Swifts in the final at Seaview.
A late goal by Padraig Scollay won it for the north Belfast club who play in the Intermediate Premier League.
Media caption,
Scollay strike seals Steel and Sons Cup for Newington
Team newspublished at 14:19 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Coleraine v Ballymena United
Eoin Bradley is named on the bench for Coleraine after a lengthy spell out with injury.
Brad Lyons is out with a hamstring problem sustained in the 2-0 win for Warrenpoint so Josh Carson is drafted into the Bannsiders' starting XI.
Ballymena unchanged from Friday's 2-1 defeat by Crusaders.
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Team newspublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Crusaders v Cliftonville
Crusaders are without suspended captain Colin Coates while Paul Heatley is absent with a groin injury sustained against Ballymena on Friday. Sean Ward and Declan Caddell come in for Stephen Baxter's men.
Joe Gormley on the bench for Cliftonville, along with Tomas Cosgrove, with Jude Winchester and Daniel Hughes drafted in.
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Jeffrey prepares for tough task at Colerainepublished at 14:11 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Coleraine v Ballymena Utd
Ballymena United manager David Jeffrey praises the efforts of Coleraine boss Oran Kearney and assistant William Murphy in boosting the fortunes of the league leaders - but promises them a tough Boxing Day derby encounter.
Media caption,
Ballymena manager David Jeffrey
Kearney relishing Boxing Day derby 'buzz'published at 14:07 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Coleraine v Ballymena Utd
Coleraine manager Oran Kearney hopes his side can consolidate their six-point lead at the top by beating rivals Ballymena United.
Media caption,
Coleraine manager Oran Kearney
Postpublished at 13:57 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2017
Good afternoon and welcome along to our live Irish Premiership coverage and we should be guaranteed a feast of first-class festive fare from today's fixtures.
Boxing Day is traditionally derby day and there are some real crackers coming up.
League leaders Coleraine may have a spring in their step right now, but they know only too well just how much local rivals Ballymena United would love to bring them down a peg or two.
Then there are the two big games in Belfast. In the north of the city second-placed Crusaders take on Cliftonville who slipped to fifth as a result of their 2-0 defeat by Linfield on Saturday.
Talking of Linfield, they need to string a run of wins together to haul themselves into the title mix. Currently 14 points behind Coleraine but with a couple of matches in hand, David Healy's men travel to Glentoran who are in a bit of a rut having taken just one point from their last four matches.
Glenavon are currently two points ahead of Linfield and Cliftonville and will aim to make sure they stay in third place by seeing off Warrenpoint Town at Mourneview Park.
Ards are at home to Carrick Rangers while bottom-placed Ballinamallard continue their hunt for only a second league win of the season when they host Dungannon Swifts.
Image source, BC Sport NI