Ballymena United have announced their first new signings under manager Oran Kearney with Dean Ebbe and Igor Rutkowski joining the club.

Ebbe joins the Sky Blues from Dundalk, who clinched the First Division title this year in the League of Ireland.

Formerly at Crusaders, the 31-year-old has played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle and the New Saints.

"Ebbe plays in an area of the pitch we need to improve on and we want strength and depth there too," Kearney told Ballymena United's social media channels.

"He's shown character and drive at Dundalk and you want people who are hungry and maybe want to prove a point after a spell in the league before."

As for Rutkowski, he makes the move from Armagh City after netting eight times for the Championship side so far this season.

The 21-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Kearney's side with both players eligible to play once the January transfer window opens.

"Igor is an exciting one and someone I've watched for a while," Kearney continued when asked about Rutkowski.

"He has shown a lot of quality, and I feel the timing is right for him here now.

"He's a confident, hardworking lad who scores goals and we'll get him in and training so he's ready to hit the ground running in January."

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Ballymena make two changes from last week's defeat at Portadown as Oran Kearney takes charge at the Showgrounds for the first time since his appointment.

Veteran goalkeeper Sean O'Neill returns between the posts at the expense of Declan Breen, while Joel Thompson comes in for Stephen O'Donnell, who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card last weekend.

Patrick McEleney joins the already lengthy Showgrounds injury list with a broken wrist and is listed among United's coaching staff today.

Carrick boss Stephen Baxter also makes a brace of changes after last week's thrilling 3-3 draw with Dungannon as Aidan Steele and Ryan McKay replace Joe Crowe and Jimmy Callacher.

Ballymena United: O'Neill, Toure, McCallion, Clarke, Lafferty, Thompson, Jarvis, McGeouch, Corbally, O'Connor, Edogun.

Subs: Breen, Gould, O'Reilly, Burns, Taylor, Hood, Houston.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside, Burns, McCullough, Buchanan-Rolleston, McKay, Cherry, Snoddy, Steele, Heatley, Lecky, Gibson.

Subs: Pengelly, Waide, Clucas, Glendinning, Scott, James, McCawl.

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Good afternoon from Seaview, where Crusaders will be hoping to turn around their dismal recent run following back-to-back 4-0 reversals. Larne, meanwhile, are aiming to extend their unbeaten run to double figures today.

Both managers make a handful of changes with Declan Caddell making four from their defeat at Windsor Park last week. Most notably, Musa Dibaga replaces Jonathan Tuffey in goal while Elliot Dunlop and the experienced pairing of Jordan Forsythe and Ross Clarke come in.

For Larne, last week's match-winner against Glentoran Benji Magee is rewarded with a start while Matthew Lusty and James Simpson also start.

It's getting to that time of year where squads are stretched thin and both sides have some youth on their bench today.

Crusaders: Dibaga, Hamilton, Brooks, Dunlop, Forsythe, O'Rourke, Williamson, Bryden, Clarke, Anderson, Barr.

Subs: Tuffey, Thorndike, Ol. McCart, Miskimmin, C. Beattie, M. Beattie, Harrison.

Larne: Ferguson, Ridley, Donnelly, Gallagher, O'Neill, Graham, Magee, McEneff, Cosgrove, Lusty, Simpson.

Subs: Graham, O'Connor, Nolan, Moore, Austin, Harkin, Wallace.

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Something to whet the appetite ahead of today’s Irish Premiership action, we've picked the 12 best goals scored so far this season.

Watch highlights as James Teelan's goal in the final 15 minutes secured the three points for Portadown against Ballymena United at Shamrock Park last weekend.

Watch highlights Sean McAllister scored an injury-time equaliser as Dungannon Swifts draw 3-3 at Carrick Rangers last weekend.

Cahal McGinty opened the scoring early for the Swifts before Danny Gibson equalised.

McAllister netted a penalty to restore the Swifts' lead before Paul Heatley and Aidan Steele scored a quickfire double for Carrick.

But there was late drama as McAllister poked home his second of the game in the closing minutes.

Watch highlights as Cliftonville beat Glenavon 5-2 in the Irish Premiership last weekend.

Eric McWoods gave Cliftonville an early lead before Jack Malone and Bridel Bosakani both scored superb goals to put Glenavon in front.

Harry Sheridan and Jonny Addis responded for the Reds, who then had Odhran Casey sent off for a second yellow card.

Jack Keaney netted two late goals to secure the win for Jim Magilton's side.

Watch highlights as Calumn Morrison scored twice as Linfield defeated Crusaders 4-0 at Windsor Park last weekend.

Rodney McAree makes a raft of changes following last weekend's thrilling draw with Carrick Rangers.

Gael Bigirimana comes back into the Dungannon team as captain following suspension. Sean McAllister also makes a start after scoring a double at Taylors Avenue.

Thomas Maguire and Tiernan Kelly make up the rest of the changes as Bobby Jack McAleese, Malachy Smith, James Knowles and Andrew Mitchell all drop to the bench.

After three wins in Portadown's last four games, Niall Currie has opted to make two alterations to the team which beat Ballymena United.

Josh Ukek and Shay McCartan come in for Baris Altintop, who drops to the bench, and Gary Thompson, who is omitted from the squad entirely.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, P. Maguire, Kelly, Dillon, Glenny, McGinty, T. Maguire, Wallace, Bigirimana, Junior, McAllister

Subs: Knowles, Alves, Smith, Mitchell, Glass, Johnston, Liggett

Portadown: McCarey, Isamala, MacKinnon, Chapman, Wylie, Ukek, McCullough, Gibson, Fyfe, Teelan, McCartan

Subs: Moore, Altintop, Wilson, Mayse, Minzamba, Annett, Quinn

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Details of the next eight Irish Premiership matches that will be shown live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website have been revealed, with the County Antrim Shield final also set to be streamed.

Defending champions Linfield's trip to Taylors Avenue to face Carrick Rangers on Tuesday, 13 January (19:45 GMT) will be shown on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website as will the Blues' home match against Gary Haveron's Larne on Friday, 16 January (19:45).

The County Antrim Shield final at the Ballymena Showgrounds between Cliftonville and Carrick Rangers on Tuesday, 20 January (19:45) will also be streamed.

Title challengers Coleraine's match against bottom of the table Glenavon on Friday, 23 January (19:45) will be live streamed as well as Glentoran v Cliftonville on Sunday, 25 January (14:00).

The BBC cameras will then be at Inver Park for Glentoran's trip to face Larne on Tuesday, 10 February (19:45).

Three days after, Dungannon Swifts against Cliftonville (19:45) will be streamed with the Big Two derby between Linfield and Glentoran at Windsor Park also on the BBC iPlayer and website on Saturday, 21 February (18:00).

The final game of this set of live streams sees Cliftonville host Linfield on Sunday, 1 March at Solitude (15:00).

Irish Premiership games to be streamed on BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website (times GMT):

Tuesday, 13 January: Carrick Rangers v Linfield, 19:45

Friday, 16 January: Linfield v Larne, 19:45

Tuesday, 20 January: County Antrim Shield final: Cliftonville v Carrick Rangers, 19:45

Friday, 23 January: Coleraine v Glenavon, 19:45

Sunday, 25 January: Glentoran v Cliftonville, 14:00

Tuesday, 10 February: Larne v Glentoran, 19:45

Friday, 13 February: Dungannon Swifts v Cliftonville, 19:45

Saturday, 21 February: Linfield v Glentoran, 18:00

Sunday, 1 March: Cliftonville v Linfield, 15:00

Lee Feeney reshuffles after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat to Coleraine, with Liam Hassin, Lewis Francis, and Michael Morgan named among the Bangor substitutes as Mark Haughey, Tiarnan Mulvenna, and Ben Cushine come into the starting XI.

Jim Magilton, meanwhile, is forced into changes of his own, with the influential duo of Odhran Casey and Rory Hale suspended - youngster Keevan Hawthorne also drops out as Conor Pepper, Shaun Leppard and Michael Glynn are handed starting roles.

Bangor: Solis Grogan, Neale, Haughey, Harrison (C), Mulvenna, Arthurs, Cushnie, O’Mahony, Lynch, Devlin, S. McGuinness.

Subs: McMahon, C. McGuinness, Hassin, Francis, Boyd, Morgan, Burns.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Pepper, Lavery, Addis (C), Wilson, Curran, Leppard, Glynn, Keaney, McWoods, Sheridan.

Subs: Ridd, Falls, Gordon, McCay, Gormley, Fapetu, Tohill.

Image source, BBC Sport

Current basement side Glenavon welcome champions Linfield to Mourneview Park this afternoon, looking to beat the south Belfast side for the first time since April 2021.

The Blues are unbeaten in nine in the Irish Premiership and have also won the last four head-to-heads between the two sides.

Glenavon boss Michael O'Connor has made three changes from their 5-2 defeat at Solitude last weekend. Jacob Carney returns in goal with Ben Wilson and Corey Smith also coming in. Barney McKeown and Kyle McClelland drop to the bench with Mark Byrne missing out.

David Healy names an unchanged starting XI from his side's 4-0 thrashing of Crusaders last Saturday.

Glenavon: Carney, McMullan, Burns, Murphy, Malone (capt), O'Kane, Wilson, Bosakani, Smith, McGovern, Quinn.

Subs: Hamill, Cartwright, McKeown, Mallon, McClelland, Kee, McGerrigan.

Linfield: Johns, Roscoe, Millar, McClean, Hall, Mulgrew (capt), Baird, McGee, Fitzpatrick, McCullough, Morrison.

Subs: Walsh, Allen, McKee, Yates, Archer, Brown, Taylor.

Image source, BBC Sport

Here's how the table looks ahead of today's five games.

Image source, BBC Sport

Hello and welcome to our coverage of today's five Irish Premiership games.

Coleraine's 2-1 defeat against Glentoran last night has opened the door for fellow chasers Larne and Linfield to close the gap on the leaders.

In-form Larne, who are level on points with the Bannsiders, are away to struggling Crusaders today looking for a win that would take them top for Christmas.

Third-place Linfield travel to bottom side Glenavon hoping to move within four points of Coleraine with a victory today.

Elsewhere, Bangor host Cliftonville, who are enjoying a six-game unbeaten run in the league, while Dungannon Swifts are at home to Portadown.

Oran Kearney takes charge of his first home game as Ballymena boss as they welcome Carrick Rangers to the Showgrounds.

We will have radio and live text commentary as well as in-play clips so you won't miss any of the action.

Enjoy!

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