Irish League Football

Image source, BBC Sport

Two of Saturday's Irish Premiership matches have been postponed due to frozen pitches.

Ballymena United's home game against Glenavon was postponed after a pitch inspection at the Ballymena Showgrounds on Saturday morning.

The game between Portadown and Cliftonville at Shamrock Park was also called off following a pitch inspection at Shamrock Park.

Saturday's three other games including Carrick Rangers' home game against title challengers Glentoran, are still set to go ahead as planned.

A yellow weather warning for snow and ice in Northern Ireland began at 15:00 GMT on Friday and is due to last until noon on Saturday.

That will be followed by another yellow warning - again for snow and ice - that comes into effect as the first warning ends and will last until noon on Monday.

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Larne boss Gary Haveron praised his team's attitude after an impressive 3-0 victory over title rivals Coleraine at Inver Park.

All the goals came from substitutes late in the game with Andy Ryan's double followed by a Paul O'Neill header.

The win sees the Inver Reds move seven points clear at the top and they also have played two games less than the second-placed Bannsiders.

"The attitude of the boys from the first whistle was plain to see - the desire to get the result was there.," said Haveron.

"I tell the boys that if they believe in themselves as much as I do they are capable of beating anybody in the league.

"It was a really good win but it's only three more points and we move on."

Larne are chasing a third Gibson Cup success in four years.

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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."

Bangor lie seventh in the Premiership and face Linfield at Windsor Parkin their next league match on Saturday.

Image source, Inpho

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins says his side will go after all three points when his side take on Irish Premiership leaders Larne at Inver Park on Friday night.

It is a battle of the top two in the league table as the Bannsiders try to reduce their deficit to the Invermen to one point, albeit Larne have two games in hand.

The game will be broadcast live on BBCiPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with kick-off at 19:45 GMT.

Higgins' side gave their title hopes a much-needed boost on Tuesday with a 3-1 victory over champions Linfield at Ballycastle Road, while Gary Haveron's men were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Cliftonville,

"It gives us confidence going there and we will go there and try to win the game. We won't be going there to try and get a point," Higgins told BBC Sport NI.

"Obviously Larne are huge favourites in everyone's eyes now [to win the league] but we have to go there and try to pick up three points."

The Bannsiders have added former Derry City players Mark Connolly and James Akintunde to their squad, along with acquiring midfielder Ben Wylie from Portadown.

Higgins believes the players will make a significant difference to his squad.

"They'll bring personality, Mark brings unbelievable leadership, which I think was lacking in certain games, hence why we've gone after the sort of personality we've gone after," he explained.

Larne go into the fixture unbeaten in their past 12 top flight outings.

Both previous meetings between the sides this season have been played at the Showgrounds, with Coleraine winning 1-0 on the opening weekend of the season in August and Larne exacting revenge with a 2-1 success in November.

"You've got to love it, you've got to embrace it, Coleraine coming to Inver Park for the first time this season and we'll be ready for the challenge," said Haveron.

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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 sad.

"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

Irish Premiership title challengers Coleraine have signed midfielder Ben Wylie from Portadown.

Wylie joins on a two-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old joined Celtic from Linfield in 2020 and had loan spells at Ballymena United and Airdrie before a stint in Sweden with Ytterhogdals.

He joined Cliftonville in January 2024 and made the switch to Portadown that August, where he has impressed for Niall Currie's side.

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins said that Portadown had given Wylie "a foundation to really play and express himself".

"I think we're going to get the benefits of it as his potential is now coming to the fore and we've got a really talented midfield player, who's not just talented, but he has an edge about him as well," Higgins said.

"I think that's really important in what we're trying to do."

Wylie said he was excited to return to full-time football and his aim "is to win trophies".

"I feel I know the league pretty well and I feel like I know what I have to do to be at my best every week.

"At the end of the day, I came here to win trophies. That was the aim the manager told me and that's what I want to do."

Portadown said it wished Wylie well for the future and thanked him for his time at Shamrock Park.

Wylie is the third arrival at the Coleraine Showgrounds of the window after the Bannsiders announced the signing of Derry City captain Mark Connolly and former Candystripes striker James Akintunde.

Higgins has also recalled 18-year-old Seanan Devine from his loan spell with Championship side H&W Welders.

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Rodney McAree says Dungannon Swifts' 1-0 win over struggling Glenavon was a "fantastic three points".

Junior Ogedi-Uzokwi scored the winning goal in the second half as the Swifts moved up to fourth in the Irish Premiership table.

McAree felt the Swifts were the better team than bottom side Glenavon, who have just 12 points from 23 matches, but "we had to dig deep near the end".

It has been a 2025 to remember for the Swifts after they won the Irish Cup for the first time in their history and qualified for European football.

The Swifts travel to Belfast to take on Crusaders on Saturday and McAree says while his focus is on the next match, they also have to "celebrate" their historic year.

"We have to celebrate that we've so many points come the turn of the year, so we'll maybe have the opportunity to not look over our shoulders so much and challenge ourselves.

"It feels as if we're punching a bit with the finances around the league, but we've a great set of lads, and we have shown how united we are and how together we are.

"We've shown we have the drive to succeed, and that's important. If we have all of that then we'll always give ourselves a chance."

Image source, Inpho

Larne manager Gary Haveron said the Irish Premiership leaders "needed to do more" in Tuesday's goalless draw at home to Cliftonville.

After Coleraine's win over Linfield, Larne's lead at the top of the table stands at four points over the Bannsiders, however Haveron's side have two games in hand.

The top two in the table face off at Inver Park on Friday, and Haveron feels his side need to do more in attack compared to Tuesday's draw with the Reds.

"For all the dominance we had with possession of the ball, we didn't ask enough questions or trouble the goalkeeper enough," Haveron said.

"We dominated the game but not the scoreboard. We needed to do more."

Haveron felt Larne had two "massive shouts" for a penalty waved away by referee Evan Boyce for challenges on Tomas Cosgrove and Matt Ridley.

"They are two absolute stonewalls, if they aren't penalties then I don't know what is."

In a boost for Larne, star striker Andy Ryan returned from a long-term knee injury as a late substitute and Haveron said they had "missed him badly"

"He's obviously our talisman in terms of goals. He's very sharp in and around the box, and if a chance falls to him he's prolific.

"It's great to have him back. We have to get him up to match speed as quickly as possible. Andy is going to be like a new signing."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Linfield manager David Healy says that he is "hurting" after his side's losing run was extended to three games when Coleraine beat the Blues 3-1 at the Ballycastle Road Showgrounds.

Former Linfield striker Joel Cooper broke the deadlock just after the restart with substitute Jamie McGonigle adding a second for the home side.

Chris McKee did net from the spot in additional time for the defending league champions, but Will Patching adding Coleraine's third before the full-time whistle.

"We are going through a tough spell at the minute," Healy told BBC Sport NI.

"I get the frustration of the supporters. I hurt like them, I support the football club and I want us to do better.

"I said to the players, whether people like to hear it or not, sometimes you have to endure a bit of heartache and pain along the journey to get where you need to be and it is always a little bit better when it happens."

Linfield are now fifth in the Premiership standings, 14 points behind league leaders Larne and 10 off the Bannsiders in second position.

However, despite the poor run being the first time in eight years that Linfield have lost their past three league games, Healy added that they will not sign new players in January "for the sake of it".

"We'll probably look more in-house at more people coming back, then assess in January. We are not going to for the sake of," he continued.

"If something becomes available that will enhance the group and playing squad, we will see what business can possibly be achieved."

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins has praised his side's "brilliant response" after the Bannsiders returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Linfield at the Coleraine Showgrounds.

Joel Cooper broke the deadlock seven minutes after the restart before Jamie McGonigle's stylish finish doubled their advantage.

It looked like the Blues found a lifeline when Chris McKee converted from the spot, but Will Patching restored Coleraine's two-goal lead with the final action of the game.

"We got a brilliant response from the players and three outstanding goals," Higgins told BBC Sport NI.

"Joel has grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and put the ball in the back of the net, McGonigle has a brilliant inside of the foot half volley into the far corner and Patching has got an outstanding goal.

"We are just disappointed we couldn't keep a clean sheet, but we created lots of chances tonight."

The result puts to an end Coleraine's run of two defeats in a row but extends Linfield's losing streak to three matches.

However, Higgins added that in the first half the defending league champions were "the best team" that his side have faced.

"I felt in the first half Linfield were really, really good. I know we created a few opportunities, but they caused us problems with our shape, they were inventive and it took us a while to get to grips with it," he continued.

"Once we did, I felt we created plenty of opportunities, particularly on the counter-attack.

"Probably in the first period of the game, the best team we have come up against, particularly at the Showgrounds."

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Portadown manager Niall Currie says his side "need a better performance" than their display against Glenavon when they travel to the Oval to play Glentoran on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT).

Portadown sealed three points in the Mid-Ulster derby thanks to Luke Wilson's first-half header.

However, Currie acknowledged that his side need more presence upfront ahead of their trip to east Belfast.

"We need to be better," Currie told BBC Sport NI after their victory against the Lurgan Blues.

"We have to be honest about it, we need a better performance than we got against Glenavon, when we got a rugged, dogged performance.

"Our backline, our centre halves and full backs were brilliant and the midfielders, but we need a bit more offensively for sure."

Glentoran's confidence will be high coming into the match after their first ever Boxing Day victory at Windsor Park over Linfield.

As for Niall Currie's side, they will look to register back-to-back league victories for just the third time this season.

"We need to get our wide men more in the game and certainly upfront. Offensively we were poor [against Glenavon] but everyone worked hard collectively without the ball," Currie continued.

"We want to be more on the front foot and create more chances."