Less than three minutes on the clock and Coleraine should be ahead.

Former Linfield man Joel Cooper does brilliantly, beating his man on the left before delivering an inviting cross to the back post.

Matthew Shevlin, unmarked, looks certain to score but crashes his close range header off the crossbar.

A big let-off for Linfield in the opening few minutes.

We're under way at the Oval on a chilly night under the lights in east Belfast.

The hosts will attack the away end in the first half.

Referee Evan Boyce whistles to get the ball rolling at Inver Park.

The hosts come into this as heavy favourites, unbeaten in 11 league meetings with Cliftonville and six without defeat here.

The question for Jim Magilton’s men is simple: can they land a first league win on this ground since January 2022?

The Crues get us under way at Seaview.

With 10 goals between the sides in their last two encounters, expect some goalmouth action tonight

We are under way at Mourneview Park.

Which way will this one go?

Paul Leeman
Former Glentoran captain on BBC iPlayer

Larne have to concentrate on what they're doing tonight, they are so formidable at home.

They are strong favourites tonight and it is hard to see past a Larne win.

Coleraine's Joel Cooper gets us under way on a bitterly cold night on the north coast.

The teams have met twice before this season - both games ending in a draw.

Will we get a winner tonight?

Liam Beckett
Sportsound summariser

Two teams who desperately need a win tonight.

I watched the Linfield game on Boxing Day and, to be honest, it was one of the worst Linfield performances I have seen in many years.

They need a massive performance tonight.

Referee Louise Thompson gets the action started at Clandeboye Park.

Two teams who have been struggling for wins recently go head-to-head - can either add to their tally tonight?

Watch highlights as two goals from Daire O'Connor sealed the three points for the Sky Blues on Boxing Day.

Glenavon manager Michael O'Connor said he was happy with how his side performed but was left disappointed with the result after the Lurgan Blues' 1-0 loss against Portadown at Shamrock Park.

Luke Wilson's header broke the deadlock in the first half with the away side unable to find a leveller, despite having multiple good chances.

O'Connor's side were aiming to register back-to-back victories for the first time this season after an impressive win over Linfield last weekend, but the result means they remain six points adrift at the bottom of the Irish Premiership.

"I thought we were the better team," O'Connor told BBC Sport NI.

"The goal comes from a corner. We have shown the boys clips of how Portadown are really dangerous from corners, but I thought from then onwards there was only one team looking to play forward and looking dangerous.

"I am happy with the performance and how they went about it, but I am disappointed with the result as it is all about getting three points at this point of the season."

Glenavon will welcome Dungannon Swifts who have lost just one of their last six games, to Mourneview Park in their final game of 2025 on Tuesday.

Despite Rodney McAree's side's impressive form, O'Connor is optimistic that his team can come away with three valuable points.

"If you look at our home form since I have come in, we have won four out of five," O'Connor continued.

"At home we always look to pick up maximum points. Our away form this season, we have lost every game.

"If you look against Portadown, if we keep playing like that and add more quality in the last third, I think we will be alright."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Watch highlights as Crusaders overcame north Belfast rivals Cliftonville by 2-1 at Solitude.

Crusaders assistant manager David Rainey said his side "gave everything and deservedly won" the Boxing Day north Belfast derby by beating Cliftonville 2-1 at Solitude.

An own goal from Ryan Curran and a header from Adam Brooks were enough to give the Crues a much-needed win, despite Odhran Casey scoring a late consolation for Cliftonville.

The victory ended a run of six league games without a win and moved them up to 10th, eight points clear of bottom side Glenavon and Rainey was pleased with his side's endeavours.

"Huge three points. Any time you come here, it's difficult to get anything, but to take three points on Boxing Day is massive for us," he told BBC Sport NI,

"I said last week, coming off the back of a good performance but a bad result [a 1-0 defeat against Larne], that we had to bring that into today, and I think, to a man, for 90 minutes, we gave everything and deservedly won the game."

Read the full article here.

Image source, Inpho

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell makes just one change from the heroic Boxing Day victory over Cliftonville for this evening's game at Seaview. Former Sheffield United under-21 player Evan Easton is brought into the team.

Stephen Baxter makes two changes from the side that lost 2-1 to Larne last Friday with Ryan Waide and Jack Scott included.

Crusaders: Dibaga; Brooks, Thorndike, Dunlop, Easton, O'Rourke, Williamson, Bryden, Clarke, Anderson, Barr

Subs: Tuffey; Forsythe, Hamilton, Jewitt-White, Nixon, McCart, Beattie.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside; Burns, Waide, Gibson, Lecky, McCullough, Steele, Heatley, Snoddy, McKay, Scott.

Subs: Pengelly: Buchanan-Rolleston, Boyd, Glendinning, James, McCawl, Hawthorne.

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC iPlayer

You can now watch the live stream of the Coleraine v Linfield match on the BBC iPlayer or by clicking the 'Watch live' icon at the top of this page.

Michael Clarke will be joined on commentary by David Jeffrey.

Injury and suspension mean a reshuffle for Bangor boss Lee Feeney with defender Mark Haughey unable to shake off the injury he picked up in the opening minutes of the Boxing Day defeat at Dungannon.

Striker Jay Boyd was sent off for dissent at the final whistle of that game and misses tonight, as does Reece Neale, who picked up his fifth yellow card at Stangmore Park. Michael Morgan and Stephen McGuinness start in their place.

Ballymena also make two changes from the line-up which started their Boxing Day win over Coleraine with Success Edogun and Dylan McGeouch injured. They are replaced by Stephen O'Donnell and Andy Scott, who starts for the first time in 10 months after a groin injury.

Winger Jack O'Reilly, who has come on as a sub in each of Oran Kearney's three games in charge, is suspended for five yellow cards and Ballymena have only named six substitutes as injuries continue to blight their squad.

Bangor: Solis Grogan, O'Mahony, Lynch, Francis, S McGuinness, Harrison, Devlin, Hassin, Mulvenna, Morgan, Arthurs.

Subs: Deane, C McGuinness, Garrett, Halliday, Burns, Mitchell, Osew.

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

Subs: Breen, Gould, Burns, Taylor, Hood, Smyth.

Image source, BBC Sport

Watch highlights as Adam Glenny's strike secured the three points for Dungannon against Bangor.

Glenavon boss Michael O'Connor has been forced into two changes to the starting side that lost to Portadown.

Goalkeeper Jacob Carney is ruled out after suffering a concussion on Boxing Day, with Mark Byrne named between the sticks.

Oran O'Kane is left out of the squad due to a hamstring injury and is replaced by Luke Cartwright.

Rodney McAree makes three changes to the side that beat Bangor last time out.

Alex Henderson comes in to replace Declan Dunne between the sticks. Elsewhere, Leo Alves and Andrew Mitchell start in place of Thomas Maguire and Sean McAllister.

The Dungannon Swifts' bench also sees the return of Caolan Marron, who has not featured in a matchday squad since November.

Glenavon: Byrne, McMullan, Burns, Murphy, Cartwright, Malone (C), Wilson, Bosakani, Smith, McGovern, Quinn.

Subs: Hamill, McKeown, Campbell, Mallon, McClelland, Kee.

Dungannon Swifts: Henderson, Scott, P. Maguire, Kelly, Dillon, Alves, Glenny, Wallace, Mitchell, Bigirimana (C), Junior.

Subs: Glass, Marron, Knowles, T. Maguire, Smith, Johnston, Liggett.

Image source, BBC Sport

Watch highlights as Portadown clinched the bragging rights from this year's Mid-Ulster Boxing Day derby.

In-form Glentoran welcome Portadown to the Oval this evening, looking to make it three straight wins to close out the year.

The visitors have won four of their last six, two of which were on the road. The Ports won here in the league last November, so have fond memories of playing in east Belfast.

In terms of team news, Glens boss Declan Devine makes three changes from his side's Big Two Boxing Day triumph against Linfield.

Captain Marcus Kane, Jordan Stewart and James Singleton all miss out of the matchday squad with Daniel Larmour, Daniel Amos and Christie Pattisson replacing them.

Niall Currie also rings the changes following Boxing Day's 1-0 win over Glenavon. Divin Isamala and Ben Quinn come in for Baris Altintop and Josh Ukek.

Glentoran: Mills, Cooney, Thomson, Palmer, Hoban (capt), Pattisson, Burt, Kamson Kamara, Larmour, Amos, Jennkins.

Subs: Crellin, Connolly, Ferris, McEleney, Lindsay, Russell, Douglas.

Portadown: McCarey, Isamala, MacKinnon, Wilson, Chapman, Wylie, McCullough, Fyfe, Teelan, Thompson (capt), Quinn.

Subs: Moore, Ukek, Mayse, Gibson, Obhakhan, Minzamba, McCartan.

Image source, BBC Sport