Ball over the top for the hosts as Liam McStravick knocks it down into the path of the onrushing Ryan Curran.

Luke McCullough reads the danger early, steps across and clears before Curran can pull the trigger.

Dean Shiels
Former Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts boss on BBC Sportsound

It is a very positive line-up from Michael O'Connor. He has gone for two strikers in a 4-4-2.

Same for Glentoran, they have three attackers on. So, there is lots of attacking talent on the pitch.

Coleraine midfielder Will Patching picks the ball up inside his own half and is allowed to stride forward at will.

With no one coming to close him down he tries his luck from 20 yards, Crusaders keeper Musa Dibaga stretching low to his right to save.

Lovely feet from Brian Healy, who slips the ball through Ryan McKay’s legs and darts into space.

His low cross rolls across the six-yard box, but there’s no one in a red shirt there to take advantage.

Elliott Dunlop in acres of space on the right hand side, but his cross goes harmlessly over the crossbar.

Early test for the home side as Carrick Rangers win a corner. Ryan McKay swings it towards the edge of the area, but Joe Sheridan rises well to nod it clear.

Coleraine's Matthew Shevlin gets us under way on a dry and bright afternoon by the banks of the Bann.

The hosts have won all three meetings this season.

Can they extend that record today?

Referee Steven Gregg whistles to get the ball rolling in north Belfast. History is firmly against the visitors, with the Reds having racked up 11 straight league wins over Carrick at Solitude.

Can Stephen Baxter’s men finally flip the script this afternoon?

Today's referee Rob Hennessey, a Uefa-standard official from the League of Ireland, starts the action at Stangmore Park

Referee Ian McNabb blows his whistle and we're under way at a sunny, yet bitterly cold Clandeboye Park.

Refree Louise Thompson whistles to get us under way at a bright Mourneview Park.

Which way will this game go?

Seventh-placed Bangor host eighth-placed Portadown at Clandeboye Park this afternoon, with both sides level on points.

Bangor boss Lee Feeney makes one change from last week’s 1-0 Irish Cup defeat by Linfield, with Jack O’Mahoney dropping out and Lestyn Hughes coming in to make his debut.

Niall Currie's side are playing their first league match of the calendar year and make four changes from the side that won 4-2 against Annagh United on Tuesday.

Divin Isamala, Ben Quinn, Gary Thompson and Baris Altintop make way for Gideon Tetteh, Jack Scott, Josh Carson and Shay McCartan.

Bangor: Deane, Neale, Harrison (c), Mulvenna, Fallon, Lynch, Francis, Boyd, Morgan, McGuinness, Hughes.

Subs: Grogan, Owens, Arthurs, Cushnie, Garrett, Devlin, Mitchell.

Portadown: McCarey (c), MacKinnon, Wilson, Chapman, McCullough, Fyfe, Tetteh, Teelan, Scott, McCartan, Carson.

Subs: Moore, Isalmala, Gibson, Minzamba, Annett, Quinn, Tulloch.

Image source, BBC Sport

Linfield have confirmed that winger Callumn Morrison has left the club to join Dunfermline Athletic FC for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old made 26 appearances in the Irish Premiership for David Healy's side and scored four goals.

Morrison has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Scottish Championship outfit Dunfermline, who are managed by former Northern Ireland international Neil Lennon.

The winger had joined the Blues from Falkirk last February on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

"We would like to place on record our thanks to Callumn for his contribution during his time at Windsor Park," the defending Irish Premiership champions said after the announcement.

"Everyone at the club wishes him every success in his future career."

Image source, Pacemaker

Glenavon come into this game after progressing in the Irish Cup and Michael O'Connor makes three changes to the squad from midweek.

Jacob Carney replaces Mark Byrne in goal. Nathaniel Ferris and Charlie Lindsey are absent as they are ineligible to face their parent club Glentoran. In their place come Gavin Gilmore and new signing Conor Falls, who arrived this week from Cliftonville.

John Mountney, who joined Glenavon from Bohemians, makes the bench.

Declan Devine makes one change to the squad which lost 4-1 to Larne. Ryan Cooney drops out as he is serving a suspension for a red card. New signing Ben Gallagher is named in his place.

Glenavon: Carney, McMullan, Burns, Murphy, McKeown (C), Mallon, Wilson, Gilmore, Falls, McGovern, Quinn

Subs: Cartwright, Campbell, McClelland, Kee, Carlin, Mountney, McGerrigan

Glentoran: Mills, Larmour, Kamson-Kamara, Kane (C), Singleton, Palmer, Thomson, Burt, Gallagher, Hoban, Jenkins

Subs: Crellin, Connolly, Douglas, McEleney, Weatherup, Amos, Stewart

Image source, BBC Sport

Glentoran manager Declan Devine criticised some of the "baffling" refereeing decisions during his side's 4-1 loss against Larne at the Oval.

Gary Haveron's side took the lead through Paul O'Neill's penalty on seven minutes before Daniel Larmour levelled the game, with Glentoran's Ryan Cooney dismissed for a late challenge on Sean Graham before half-time.

The away side retook the lead just before the break and extended their advantage thanks to goals from O'Neill and Tomas Cosgrove in the second half.

"Some baffling decisions have ultimately cost us, but we are also architects of our own downfall with some of the goals we gave away," Devine told BBC Sport NI.

"We changed shape at half-time, came out for the second half and gave it a right good go for 15 minutes.

"We had good chances to bring it back to 2-2 and the two goals that we gave away in the second half are really disappointing as we were so in the game and the players still believed."

Read the full article here.

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Dungannon make just one change from the side which made a winning start to their defence of the Irish Cup last weekend.

Sean McAllister is injured and is replaced by Corey Smith, who makes his first start since returning to Stangmore Park earlier this month.

Ballymena make three alterations to the side which drew with Cliftonville in midweek.

Former Rochdale keeper Bradley Wade makes his debut, replacing Sean O'Neill, who has taken up a coaching role with Crusaders after bringing his playing career to an end.

Defender Ali Gould and winger Andy Scott return to the starting line-up. David Toure - who had previously started every league game - and Sean Murray drop to the bench.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, M Smith, Marron, Wallace, Glenny, Kelly, Bigirimana, Dillon, Alves, C Smith, Junior.

Subs: Henderson, P Maguire, Knowles, Gordon, T Maguire, Mitchell, Liggett.

Ballymena United: Wade, Gould, McCallion, Clarke, Lafferty, McGeough, Corbally, Scott, O'Connor, Rutkowski, Edogun.

Subs: Breen, Toure, Jarvis, O'Reilly, Ebbe, Thompson, Murray.

Image source, BBC Sport

Goalkeeper Sean O'Neill said he had "no regrets" from his illustrious Irish Premiership career as he hangs up the gloves.

The 37-year-old announced earlier in the week that he would retire after Ballymena United's Irish Premiership game against Cliftonville, which ended 2-2.

O'Neill has had a lengthy and successful Irish League career which included two spells at the Sky Blues, a season with Dungannon Swifts and an 11-year stint at Seaview during which he won three Premiership titles and secured Irish Cup, League Cup, County Antrim Shield and Setanta Cup medals.

"I have no regrets in the game," O'Neill told BBC Sport NI contributor Stephen Alexander.

"From starting out here, Tommy [Wright] gave me my debut. To think I'd play over 500 games in this league and win everything, I didn't think so. I'm just so delighted I've done it all.

"I'm happy with going out in a competitive game. It was a difficult game but I'm happy and I can be content with what I have done in my career."

In between the posts for the Sky Blues this season, O'Neill registered clean sheets against Glenavon, Portadown, Bangor, Linfield and Coleraine.

Despite just retiring, he is not taking much time to relax and is set for a coaching opportunity at Crusaders.

O'Neill also added that he would love to take over the helm at a club in the Irish Premiership in the future.

"If I'm honest, I have a coaching opportunity and I have to look beyond playing. I've been offered a job, I'm not going to make bones about it, that is what's happened," he continued.

"I wish I could have stayed to the end of the year but, to be honest, the job wouldn't have been there. I have to think about myself now.

"I would love a [manager's] job one day. I love this league and to be a manager one day in it would be great and further on who knows? Ultimately that's what I want to do, I have set my stall out early. That's what I want to do and hopefully I'll get there."

Image source, Inpho

Two teams very familiar with one another reunite at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

The pair met here just eight days ago in the Irish Cup when a strong second half showing saw the hosts progress 4-0 against opponents reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of Brendan Hamilton.

Bannsiders boss Ruaidhri Higgins makes two changes to the starting line-up from last Friday night as Dean Jarvis and Zane Okoro start their afternoon among the replacements..

Their places are taken by the returning Levi Ives, who wears the captain's armband in the continuing absence of injured club captain Lyndon Kane and James Akintunde, who makes his first start since arriving in the January transfer window.

Crusaders head coach Declan Caddell makes four changes to the team which began in that cup defeat as Jarlath O'Rourke, placed on the transfer list this week, Josh Williamson and Oli McCart drop to the bench while Brendan Hamilton is suspended.

In from the start come Jordan Forsythe, named skipper for the day, Evan Easton, Stewart Nixon and defender Cameron Bruce, who makes his first start since joining from Scottish Championship club Airdrieonians earlier this month.

Coleraine: Schofield, Boyle, Patching, Shevlin, Cooper, Ives (c), Dunne, McDonald, Wylie, Akintunde, Connolly.

Subs: Webb, Jarvis, Doherty, Stewart, Okoro, Coyle, Devine.

Crusaders: Dibaga, Brooks, Thorndike, Dunlop, Easton, Forsythe (c), Bryden, Nixon, Bruce, Anderson, Barr.

Subs: Tuffey, Jewitt-White, O'Rourke, Williamson, Owens, McCart, James.

Image source, BBC Sport

Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins believes league leaders Larne "have one hand on the trophy" but there’s still "plenty of football to be played".

The Bannsiders are second in the table, 11 points behind Larne.

Speaking before their Irish Premiership game against Crusaders, Higgins hopes his side can keep pace with the Invermen and capitalise on any of their slip-ups.

"Larne are in an absolutely brilliant position, fair play to them. Their points tally is through the roof, so credit to them, but, there's still a lot of football to be played," he said.

"You have to say they have one hand on the trophy but, also, football's a funny old game. We just need to focus on ourselves.

"We can't control what others do but what I would like is that we can put ourselves in a position that if they so slip at any point that we take advantage of it.

"We've still a lot to salvage, we still have a lot to play for this season and we just need to keep focused on winning matches and try and put ourselves in a position where we at least make them earn it."

Coleraine host Crusaders a week on from their 4-0 victory over Declan Caddell’s side in the Irish Cup fifth round and Higgins expects a different challenge from the Crues at the Showgrounds.

"This is going to be a completely different kettle of fish and there will no complacency from us," Higgins added.

"We'll give them the utmost respect as they deserve and we'll do everything to try and win the game."

Image source, Inpho

Crusaders have announced that club captain Jarlath O'Rourke has been placed on the transfer list with immediate effect.

O'Rourke has made 246 appearances for the north Belfast side after arriving from Dungannon Swifts in 2019 and has won two Irish Cups during his time with the club.

In a statement released on Thursday, Crusaders confirmed the 30-year-old is available for transfer after failing to sign a new deal at Seaview.

"The club had offered Jarlath a new and improved contract, which also included the award of a testimonial season in recognition of his significant service to Crusaders FC," the statement said.

"Despite multiple attempts by the club to reach an agreement and secure his long-term future, the player has declined to commit by refusing to sign the proposed deal.

"As a result, the club has taken the decision to place Jarlath O'Rourke on the transfer list with immediate effect."

Image source, Inpho