Jay Donnelly strikes the woodwork for Cliftonville.

The striker's fiercely driven shot crashes off the post. Close...very close.

Brad Lyons heads into the hands of Brian Neeson from a corner.

A good early chance for the Bannsiders passed up.

Ards moved above Dungannon Swifts into eighth place in the table by beating Warrenpoint Town 4-2 on Tuesday and now face a Glentoran side who lost their last league outing against Ballymena more than two weeks ago.

The Glens' scheduled Easter Tuesday match with Dungannon fell victim of a waterlogged pitch.

Ards

Hogg, L Kelly, Byers, McAleenan, Glendinning, Mitchell, J Kelly, Cherry, Frazer, McClellan, Stewart

Glentoran

Morris, Redman, Addis, Allen, McDaid, Kelly, Kerr, Birney, Kane, O’Hanlon, McMahon

Ballymena United manager David Jeffrey tells his players they must perform to their best in their remaining league matches to ensure their futures at the club.

Coleraine show two changes from the side that drew with Crusaders in midweek. Josh Carson and Eoin Bradley drop to the bench, Stephen Dooley and Aaron Burns come in, Burns joining Jamie McGonigle in attack.

Cliftonville have Liam Bagnall suspended. Jaimie McGovern replaces Tomas Cosgrove in the starting line-up. Ruairi Harkin faces his former club.

Stephen Garrett makes way for Chris Curran.

Coleraine

Johns, Kane, Harkin, McCauley, Burns, McConaghie, Lyons, O’Donnell, Trainor, McGonigle, Dooley

Cliftonville

Neeson, McGovern, Ives, Harney, Curran, Harkin, Gormley, J Donnelly, Grimes, McDonald, R Donnelly

Cliftonville manager Barry Gray says his side will keep up the chase for third place in the league.

The Reds currently trail Glenavon and Linfield by two points.

Dungannon, having lost four of their last five in the league, seem to have little hope of matching last season's seventh place and a crack at the end-of-season-play-offs to qualify for the Europa League.

Still, they have their first senior trophy - the NI League Cup - in the cabinet at Stangmore Park - so it hasn't been a bad season for Rodney McAree's men.

Here's is how the Swifts and their opponents Carrick line up today...

Dungannon Swifts: Addis, Hegarty, Wilson, Armstrong, McElroy, Teggart, O'Rourke, Patton, Lowe, Clucas, Hughes.

Subs: Burke, Fitzpatrick, Mayse, McMenamin, Campbell

Carrick Rangers: Doherty, Smyth, Surgenor, McNally, Chapman, Smith, McAllister, Kattoy, Hassin, Larmour, Henderson.

Subs: Edgar, Taggart, Smith, Mooney, Anau.

Ballinamallard, whose crunch midweek relegation clash with Carrick was postponed, make one change from their last outing, with club captain James McKenna replacing Packie Mailey in the heart of the defence.

Warrenpoint's first four games under Stephen McDonnell's stewardship have produced 18 goals.

The rookie boss keeps faith with the XI who started Town's midweek defeat at Ards.

Ballinamallard United

Brush, McCloughlin, McKenna, Clarke, McGinty, Curran, Smyth, Noble, Kerr, O'Flynn, Kee

Warrenpoint Town

Parr, Dane, Hughes, Reilly, McGrandles, Moan, Foster, TJ Murrray, Forde, Lynch, O'Sullivan

Linfield's midweek win at Glenavon drew them level on points with their opponents in the race for third position and manager David Healy opts for the same starting line-up for the visit of Ballymena.

But it's all change for Sky Blues boss David Jeffrey who makes five switches from the side who lost to Cliftonville on Easter Tuesday.

Andrew Burns, Leroy Millar, Stephen McAlorum, Conor McCloskey and Willie Faulkner come into the side in place of Kyle Owens, Johnny Flynn, Fra McCaffrey, Joe McKinney and the suspended Cathair Friel.

Long-term injury victims Gary Thompson and Johnny McMurray won't play again this season, Jeffrey has confirmed.

Linfield

Carroll, Stafford, Robinson, Haughey, Waterworth, Lowry, Millar, Byrne, Clarke, Mitchell, Quinn

Ballymena United

Glendinning, Kane, McAlorum, Balmer, Ervin, Quigley, Burns, Faulkner, Miller, McCloskey, Shevlin

Coleraine manager Oran Kearney is wary of the threat posed by a Cliftonville side who have suffered just one defeat in their last seven matches.

A good start to the day for Dungannon Swifts with the news that boss Rodney McAree - who had been linked with the manager's job at Glentoran - has agreed a new three-year deal at Stangmore Park.

Crusaders defender Howard Beverland says they are using the experience of losing out on last season's title to spur them on this year.

The 2015 and 2016 champions missed out on a hat-trick when they were overhauled by Linfield in the run-in.

Beverland insists they are using that disappointment as a motivation as they try to make it three championships in four seasons.

Glenavon come to Seaview without a few regulars and without a win in their last five league matches.

Crusaders have not lost at Seaview since 14 October - but the team which beat them 3-2 that day was Glenavon.

They are without striker Jordan Owens and his likely replacement Darren Murray is a late withdrawal, so Michael Carvill is promoted to the starting 11 and Mark McChrystal gets a late call-up to the home team bench.

Crusaders

Jensen, Burns, Coates, Beverland, Ward, Lowry, Caddell, Glackin, Heatley, Forsythe, Carvill.

Subs: McClean, Snoddy, Carvill, Bonner, McChrystal.

Glenavon

Tuffey, Burns, Doyle, Daniels, Marshall, Mitchell, Sykes, McGrory, Cooper, Murray, Singleton.

Subs: Kelly, Foley, Griffin, McCavvitt, Norton

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to our coverage of the latest instalment in the battle for the Irish League title as Crusaders continue their bid for a third Gibson Cup success in four years and Coleraine aim to bridge a 44-year gap since their sole championship triumph way back in 1974.

It's a case of 'as you were' following Tuesday night's 1-1 draw between the top two at Seaview, the Crues still holding a two-point advantage over their rivals with four sets of fixtures still to play.

With the campaign very much in the run-in, Crusaders will be keen to avoid any slip-ups on their home patch against a Glenavon team who came away with a 3-2 victory when the sides last locked horns in north Belfast in October.

Coleraine host Cliftonville at Ballycastle Road four weeks before their big Irish Cup final meeting at Windsor Park, the Bannsiders eager to maintain their incredible record of just one defeat from 34 top-flight outings this term.

In the day's other Section A encounter, Linfield continue their joust for third spot with Glenavon and Cliftonville when they entertain Ballymena United.

And there's plenty still to to play for in Section B as bottom club Ballinamllard United hope to make up ground at home to Warrenpoint, Dungannon Swifts play Carrick Rangers and Ards take on Glentoran.

Stay with us throughout the afternoon for all the build-up, action and reaction on what promises to be another exciting afternoon.