Every Glentoran player bar Andy Mills is stationed inside the Cliftonville half as the visitors dominate the early possession.

Larne have the ball in the net from a corner but the referee's whistle had long blown so the Main Stand's celebrations are cut short.

Some early needle between Ethan McGee and Leroy Millar but referee Chris Morrison believes a good stern talking-to is enough to calm things down.

Ryan Cooney hurls a long throw into the penalty area where James Singleton connects with a flicked header.

The ball loops toward goal but Lewis Ridd is well-placed to gather.

Kian Corbally's slide-rule pass splits the Glenavon defence leaving Success Edogun bearing down on goal but keeper Jacob Carney is quickly off his line to block the striker's effort with his body.

Referee Tim Marshall whistles to get the ball rolling in north Belfast.

The Blues get us going attacking the Church End. They have a sold-out away end behind them tonight.

Referee Jamie Robinson starts the action at Ballymena, where a rare dry spell of recent weather has given some respite to the much-criticised Showgrounds pitch.

Can Glenavon take another step towards a footballing 'Great Escape' or will Ballymena give themselves some breathing space from the lower reaches of the Premiership table?

An update on Mark Haughey from Bangor Football Club on their X social media feed, external

Mark Haughey has now been discharged from hospital and is back home.

Following further checks, doctors are satisfied there are no underlying concerns at this stage and everything is progressing positively.

Mark would like to pass on his sincere thanks to the medical teams at Bangor FC and Glenavon FC, as well as staff at the Ulster Hospital, for their care and support. He also greatly appreciates all the messages of encouragement and well wishes received over the past few days.

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Bangor centre-back Bangor Mark Haughey and January signing Iestyn Hughes have both now been discharged from hospital.

Play was stopped in the 38th minute of Bangor's match against Glenavon on Saturday when Haughey dropped to his knees off the ball and was treated by medics.

Bangor manager Lee Feeney said Haughey, 35, was able to walk to the ambulance after being treated on the pitch for an issue with his heart.

Earlier in the game, Hughes sustained a facial injury following a tackle in the opening 10 minutes.

There were two lengthy delays while both players received treatment which resulted in eight minutes of additional time in the first half.

"Mark Haughey has now been discharged from hospital and is back home," a statement on Bangor's social media channels read on Tuesday.

"Following further checks, doctors are satisfied there are no underlying concerns at this stage and everything is progressing positively.

"Mark would like to pass on his sincere thanks to the medical teams at Bangor FC and Glenavon FC, as well as staff at the Ulster Hospital, for their care and support.

"He also greatly appreciates all the messages of encouragement and well wishes received over the past few days."

Speaking immediately after the match, Bangor manager Feeney had provided a short update on both players.

"Hughes had a nail in his eye so his eye could be cut. Mark's was very, very concerning," said Feeney.

"He [Haughey] had to get a lot of work done for his heart. Hopefully this doesn't sound too dramatic, but he walked into the ambulance so that is a positive and I just pray to God he is OK."

Defender Haughey signed for the Seasiders at the start of the season and has played 21 matches for the side in the Premiership this season.

The 35-year-old has also featured for Glenavon and Linfield during his illustrious top-flight career.

"Haughey has been super for us and we missed him there when he went off," Feeney continued.

"You don't like seeing that."

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Watch highlights as Cliftonville beat Crusaders 5-2 in the Irish Premiership to gain the bragging rights from the north Belfast derby.

Watch highlights as bottom side Glenavon beat Bangor 3-1 at Clandeboye Park in the Irish Premiership.

Watch highlights as Linfield secured three crucial points in the Irish Premiership against Glentoran thanks to Matthew Fitzpatrick's goal.

Watch highlights as Carrick Rangers beat league leaders Larne 3-2 at Inver Park in the Irish Premiership.

Watch highlights as Will Patching's goal is enough to see Coleraine defeat Ballymena United by 1-0.

Glenavon manager Michael O'Connor said he was "delighted" with his side's performance in their win over Bangor on Saturday, as Conor Falls scored twice and Barney McKeown also netted.

The result is the first time the Lurgan Blues, who are bottom of the table, have picked up points on the road this season, while eleventh placed Crusaders slipped to a 5-2 defeat in the north Belfast derby at Cliftonville.

O'Connor said he aimed to avoid relegation when he took the job at Mourneview Park and that that ambition hasn't changed with his side now seven points behind the Crues.

"We were 11 points behind at that point [when O'Connor took charge] and Crusaders had two or three games in hand," he said on BBC Radio Ulster.

"We're slowly but surely getting there. The next nine games are nine cup finals for us. You have to give everything you have, you can't have any regrets.

"It's only three points at the end of the day and we have to move on to Tuesday."

On the other hand, Crusaders coach Sean O'Neill said they were made to pay for an "awful" opening 20 minutes against Cliftonville.

O'Neill, who joined the Crues' coaching set-up in January, said it "wasn't good enough" but the onus was on the club to turn their form around, and not worry about Glenavon's recent upturn results.

"Look, we just have to rely on ourselves. We need points on the board, and we need them as soon as possible," he told BBC Sport NI.

"The fact that other teams are picking up results is what it is. We can't worry about what others are doing, we have to look after ourselves.

"For too many weeks now, too many lads have been looking over their shoulder, and that's not the Crusaders way.

"We need to knuckle down, get points on the board, and get back at it."

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Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton said his side "got their rewards" during their derby day 5-2 victory over Crusaders.

Goals from Brian Healy, Luke Conlan, Micheal Glynn, Harry Wilson and Josh Kelly secured the bragging rights for the Reds.

The result means that Cliftonville are now two points behind Carrick Rangers in sixth with three games in hand.

"Five goals and three points is always very satisfying in a derby," Magilton told BBC Sport NI.

"I thought we started the game really well and scored two good goals then coughed up a goal.

"We got off to a great start in the second half, a great goal from Glynn, and then coughed up another silly goal. I thought there were a lot of positive signs on Tuesday night, we went again and today we got our rewards."

The Reds lost Boxing Day's north Belfast 2-1 at Solitude with the Crues winning just one game in the Premiership since then.

Magilton added that his side's performance during the victory was pleasing but added they can't give other teams the chances that Crusaders had.

"I didn't think we did ourselves justice on Boxing Day, different type of occasion today, but just as rewarding," Magilton continued.

"Once the players step over the white line, the responsibility rests with them and they have to go deliver.

"At times today we showed that confidence and times we were sloppy, it costs us and in a different game it could have cost us more."

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Linfield midfielder Kyle McClean said "there is no talks of leagues" and "absolutely no pressure on us at the minute" after the Blues' 1-0 victory over Glentoran.

After Tuesday night's big win over Dungannon Swifts, David Healy said that retaining the Gibson Cup was "unlikely, but not impossible".

However, after Larne's defeat on Friday and Linfield's derby win over the Glens, the odds are now more in their favour than they were a week ago.

Despite a shock Irish Cup exit at the hands of Championship front runners Limavady United, the Blues are now nine games unbeaten in the league and are hitting form at the sharp end of the season, aided by Matthew Fitzpatrick's goalscoring run.

"From the turn of the year, we know we have been in good form in the league and we knew we were on a good run," McClean told BBC Sport NI.

"We knew that we needed to be better from the first half of the season and we are taking it game by game. There is absolutely no pressure on us at the minute.

"We are just going about our business and trying to win games and trying to get up the table.

"Thankfully in recent weeks we have done that and certainly in that dressing room we are just wanting to win game by game and see where we end up in the league."

Linfield may be playing things down, but Healy's reaction at full-time, where he clenched his fists at the crowd, was the celebration of a man who knows the dream of a record-extending 57th Gibson Cup is still well and truly alive after a big win over their rivals.

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In the middle of January, Larne had just defeated Glentoran to move 10 points clear at the top of the table.

Now, in a twist that few saw coming, that lead is down to just two points.

While Gary Haveron's side lost their second game in a row, rivals Coleraine and Linfield took full advantage to close in on the leaders.

Larne are still favourites to win the title with a two-point lead and a game in hand, but their run of three games without a win has opened the door for late-season drama.

A lot of Larne's troubles have come from a defence that had been so solid, yet has now started to leak goals.

By the end of January, the Inver Park side had conceded just 13 goals in 26 matches. It had been the bedrock of their title campaign.

But in three league matches in February, they are without a win and have conceded seven goals in three games, with one point to show for their troubles as a draw with Glentoran was followed by losses to Portadown and Carrick Rangers.

Speaking after the derby loss to Carrick, Haveron's frustration was evident as he challenged his players to bounce back against Linfield on Tuesday.

That game was always going to be important, but given the momentum of both sides it feels like a pivotal moment in the title race.

"The last couple of results are from ideal and we've let the others back into the mix," Haveron said.

"That's on us and it's now how we react from this moment on.

"I'm sure I'll get a reaction from the players in the right way."

After failing to properly convert Larne's slip-up against Portadown with their own 1-1 draw with in-form Carrick, Coleraine's win over Ballymena on Friday brought them to within touching distance of the top.

That gap now stands at two points, although Larne and Linfield have a game in hand over the Bannsiders.

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Larne manager Gary Haveron said his side's defending in the first half of their 3-2 defeat by Carrick Rangers was "pathetic" and they "have let people come back into the mix" for the Irish Premiership title.

Goals from Danny Gibson, Joe Crowe and Paul Heatley gave the away side a comfortable lead at the break. Tiarnan O'Connor and Dan Bent netted in the second half for Larne, but they were unable to find a crucial third goal.

The Inver Reds are now without a win in their last three games after being held by 10-man Glentoran and beaten by Portadown.

"The first half performance, our defending is pathetic and I can't say it any other way," Haveron told BBC Sport NI

"The three goals we concede are criminal from our perspective and it is something we pride ourselves on and the last couple of games were brutal. A horrendous performance in the first half and the damage was done in the first half.

"The whole starting XI, if I could have made 11 substitutes at half-time, I would have done it."

Larne now have a two-point lead at the top of the Irish Premiership but have a game in hand over Coleraine in second position.

However, Haveron added his side have no one to blame but themselves for the gap now being so tight as the Inver Reds aim to clinch the Premiership title after Linfield won the Gibson Cup last season.

"The last couple of results are far from ideal," he continued.

"We have let people come back into the mix and that is only on us.

"It is how we react. We have Linfield here on Tuesday and we have to be a lot better than we have been. I am sure we will be and I will get a reaction from the players in the right way."

Image source, Inpho