Aidan Steele with a dangerous corner causes mild panic in the Glentoran defence before the ball is cleared.

Pat Hoban whistles a shot past the post at the other end.

Bright start from both teams.

Oli McCart uses good footwork to enter the box and is taken down, but there is not enough contact to award a penalty according to Niall Devlin.

Half-hearted appeals for a penalty as Adam Lecky heads towards goal but nothing doing from the officials.

The visitors go straight up the other end and create an opportunity of their own, which is eventually cleared by Ethan McGee.

Ethan McGee's diagonal punt is crossed in first time by Charlie Allen into a dangerous area, but Patrick Solis Grogan is alert and gathers routinely.

Sharp start from the hosts.

Glentoran's Liam Burt gets us under way at a bright but chilly Taylors Avenue.

Signs of the overnight frost on the pitch but referee Shane McGonigle seemingly happy for the game to proceed.

Precious points up for grabs this afternoon.

Referee Niall Devlin whistles to get us under way at a sunny Seaview.

Both teams are on a good run of form, who comes out on top?

We're under way at a sunny yet bitterly cold Windsor Park.

Here is a reminder of the three Irish Premiership games taking place this afternoon.

Both Ballymena United v Glenavon and Portadown v Cliftonville have been called off following their respective pitch inspections.

Image source, BBC Sport

Paddy McLaughlin
Sportsound summariser

If you look at the form at the minute, Bangor have been excellent and have been all season.

Linfield are struggling along at the minute so, if Bangor are ever going to win Linfield's winning cycle [against Bangor], today might be the day.

Jim Ervin
Former Ballymena United manager on Sportsound

It is going to be a tricky fixture as it's never easy coming to Taylors Avenue.

After losing Jonny Russell, Devine will be looking to add experience and he'll be now thinking that they have a bit of form and push on.

Former Northern Ireland international Josh Carson has joined Portadown after leaving Ballymena United.

The 32-year-old midfielder left Ballymena after 18 months at the Showgrounds, when he made the switch from Coleraine.

He previously played for Ipswich Town, York City and Linfield, and he won four Northern Ireland caps while playing in England.

Currie said he had been a "huge fan" of Carson "for many years", and he has "undoubted pedigree and quality".

"He's hungry and I could feel that from him right from our first conversations," he said.

"I totally expect him to quickly become a big favourite at our club, I'm sure our supporters will appreciate this lad."

Carson said he was "over the moon" to make the move to Shamrock Park.

"I'm hungry, passionate and I've a burning desire to be successful," he said.

"What to expect from me is nothing less than 100% every time I cross that white line."

Portadown have also announced that midfielder Ryan Mayse has left the club to join Premier Intermediate side Dergview.

Image source, Inpho

Crusaders come into this game looking to continue a good run of form following Tuesday's draw with Carrick Rangers.

Declan Caddell makes two changes to the starting XI from that game. Brendan Hamilton and Oli McCart start in place of Ross Clarke and the suspended Evan Easton.

Rodney McAree makes three alterations to the line-up which defeated Glenavon last time out.

Declan Dunne returns in goal in place of Alex Henderson. In defence, Caolan Marron makes his first start since November and replaces Danny Wallace with Mal Smith in for the injured Steven Scott.

Brandon Bermingham is on the bench for the Swifts, having returned from his loan at Cliftonville.

Crusaders: Dibaga, Hamilton, Brooks, Thorndike, Dunlop, O'Rourke (C), Williamson, Bryden, McCart, Anderson, Barr.

Subs: Tuffey, Jewitt-White, Nixon, Clarke, Donnelly, Miskimmin, Beattie.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, P. Maguire, Marron, Kelly, Dillon, Alves, Glenny, Smith, Mitchell, Bigirimana (C), Junior.

Subs: Henderson , Bermingham, Knowles, McCarron, Callan, Johnston, Liggett.

Image source, BBC Sport

Watch highlights as Dungannon Swifts beat Glenavon 1-0 in the Irish Premiership at Mourneview Park on Tuesday courtesy of Junior's second-half strike.

A big game at opposite ends of the table at Taylors Avenue.

Visitors Glentoran can move to within two points of second placed Coleraine with a win while Carrick Rangers will be looking to widen the gap on Glenavon with a positive result.

Home manager Stephen Baxter makes two changes to the team which started the midweek draw against Crusaders, one of them enforced.

Regular goalkeeper Nathan Gartside has failed to recover from an injury sustained on Tuesday so Scott Pengelly deputises, leaving no recognised keeper on the bench for the home side.

On-loan midfielder Jack Scott has returned to parent club Coleraine so Reece Glendinning comes in.

Glentoran's starting XI also shows two changes from midweek - a 2-1 home win over Portadown - as club captain Marcus Kane and James Singleton come in at the expense of Christie Pattisson and Danny Amos, who both drop to the bench.

Carrick Rangers: Pengelly, Burns, Waide, Gibson, Lecky, McCullough (c), Steele, Heatley, Glendinning, Snoddy, McKay.

Subs: Callacher, Buchanan-Rolleston, Boyd, Crowe, James, Grills, McCawl.

Glentoran: Mills, Cooney, Kane (c), Thomson, Palmer, Hoban, Burt, Kamara, Larmour, Singleton, Jenkins.

Subs: Crellin, Connolly, Pattisson, Ferris, McEleney, Amos, Douglas.

Image source, BBC Sport

Crawley Town have signed full-back Jonny Russell from Glentoran for an undisclosed fee.

He leaves the Northern Ireland Premiership side after making 80 appearances following his debut during the 2022-23 season.

Russell scored twice in 14 games in the current campaign, helping Glentoran to third place in the table behind Larne and Coleraine.

He is Crawley's fourth early signing in the January transfer window, following the arrival of Theo Vassell, Taylor Richards and Tobi Adeyemo.

Details about the length of his contract have not been disclosed.

Crawley are 21st in League Two ahead of Sunday's away game against Cheltenham Town.

Image source, Pacemaker

Watch highlights as Crusaders drew 2-2 with Carrick Rangers at Seaview the Irish Premiership on Tuesday night.

Linfield have beaten Bangor twice already this season, but come into this fixture fresh off the back of three successive league defeats.

The visitors on the other hand impressed last time out and got back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Ballymena United.

David Healy unsurprisingly makes two alterations to his starting XI following their 3-1 defeat to Coleraine on Tuesday night.

In come the returning Euan East and Matt Yates for Ben Hall and Alex Gorrin who both miss out.

Lee Feeney also makes changes to his side that beat the Sky Blues on Tuesday night with three in total.

Robbie Garrett, Caomhan McGuinness and Reece Neale replace Liam Hassin, Lewis Harrison and Oisin Devlin.

Linfield: Johns, East, McClean (C), Allen, McKee, Yates, Archer, Brown, McGee, Fitzpatrick, McCullough.

Subs: Walsh, Ballantyne, Mulgrew, Baird, Taylor, Morrison, Graham.

Bangor: Solis Grogan, C.McGuinness, Neale (C), Mulvenna, Arthurs, O'Mahony, Lynch, Francis, Garrett, Morgan, S.McGinness.

Subs: Deane, Fallon, Mathieson, Burns, Matier, Mitchell, Osew.

Image source, BBC Sport

Midfielder Stephen Fallon has joined Bangor on loan from Coleraine until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old joined the Bannsiders in the summer, having previously enjoyed a successful eight-and-a-half year spell with Linfield.

Fallon won six Irish League titles, three League Cups, two Irish Cups and a County Antrim Shield during his trophy-laden spell with the Blues.

"This is the calibre of player that we want to attract to Bangor Football Club – Stephen's been one of the best midfielders in the league over the past number of years," enthused Bangor manager Lee Feeney.

"He's coming into an environment that we think will suit him. We believe we can bring the best out of him and we're keen to get him playing on a consistent basis.

"He's a quality player – he's a box-to-box midfielder, he's intelligent, he's won this league."

Image source, Inpho