Irish League Football

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Match-winner Matthew Shevlin said that whilst he was "disappointed" not to start against Glenavon he was "buzzing" to come off the bench and score the winning goal.

Shevlin headed home from Lyndon Kane's cross on 89 minutes to help the Bannsiders to a 2-1 victory against 10-man Glenavon.

The striker, who was the league's top goalscorer last season, was pleased to open his account for this campaign and snatch all three points for Coleraine.

"I was disappointed not to be playing but that is the nature of the squad, it is very competitive but I'm buzzing to come on and score the winner," he told BBC Sport NI.

"The gaffer did say during the week that one of the substitutes will probably win the game for us as it will be a tough game so I'm happy to have come on and done that!

"I thought the first 15-20 minutes that I came on we weren't getting the ball into the box enough, we were pondering on it, so I told Lyndon to get the ball in the box quicker and next time he got it he did, and I scored, so happy days."

Shevlin believes the gritty win from the unbeaten Bannsiders shows they have the character to match their talent as they aim to challenge for the title.

"We have the quality in the squad, but it is whether we have the other side, the grit and determination and so far, in the first four games, we have shown we have both sides of the game."

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Glentoran midfielder Josh Kelly said scoring his first goal for the club was "a nice way to cap off" his return from injury.

Kelly, who joined the club in 2023 from Ballymena United, spent a year out injured after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee in August last year.

After returning in pre-season, Kelly netted Glentoran's second in their 2-0 win against Crusaders, their fourth consecutive victory which continues their impressive start to the campaign.

"It's lovely to score on a personal note but the most important thing was we backed Tuesday up [a win against Glenavon] and got another three points," he told BBC Sport NI.

"Getting a goal is massive, I've been playing in and out at the start of the season as I'm only back a couple of months after a year out.

"It was a tough thing to go through but to get the goal today was a nice way to cap it off [coming back] and to contribute to the team is a really good feeling."

Kelly is hoping that Glentoran can show the consistency they lacked last year as they look to build on their positive start and challenge for trophies.

"Everyone in that changing room is hungry to bring success to the club and hopefully we can do that this year."

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Ballymena United boss Jim Ervin was pleased with the contribution of Kian Corbally in the home side's 4-0 victory against Bangor.

Corbally netted twice as the Sky Blues recorded their third successive league win and clean sheet at the Showgrounds.

And Ervin believes there is still plenty more to come from the 21-year-old forward, who signed for the club from Wexford in January.

"He is a talented footballer which is why we brought him because we know what he can deliver and it's been good for him to get on the scoresheet," Ervin told BBC Sport NI.

"We've been telling him off for weeks because he doesn't shoot often enough and he's shown today what he is capable of."

Ervin was also delighted with the ruthless streak his side showed with Calvin McCurry and Ben Kennedy also scoring to help the Sky Blues continue their good start.

"It ended up a routine victory. We came in leading at half-time, but I thought we were fortunate we were a bit sloppy, and I had a go at the boys at half-time," he added.

"Then we got off to the perfect start second half, scored almost immediately and that helped us settle, then to go get the fourth, I was delighted.

"People have questioned us off the back of last year and rightly so, but three wins and three clean sheets, I don't think anyone would have believed it."

Glenavon manager Paddy McLaughlin says the decision to send off forward Francely Lomboto was an "unbelievably poor call".

Substitute Lomboto was sent off by referee Mark Dillon for an off the ball incident with Coleraine captain Lyndon Kane with 14 minutes remaining when the game was level.

Coleraine piled pressure on in the closing stages and found a late winner through Matthew Shevlin.

"It was an unbelievably poor call and it changed the game completely," McLaughlin said.

"We talk about referees every week and nothing seems to be done about them.

"It's about time we done something about this because it's scandalous every week."

McLaughlin's side remain without a win in four matches despite a strong performance against Coleraine.

Adam Long opened the scoring before Paul McGovern equalised with the Lurgan Blues' first goal of the season.

McLaughlin said the game was on a "knife edge" when Lomboto was controversially dismissed, and "you can't give Coleraine a man advantage".

"We were already up against it as it is. That's the kind of things that can happen to you when you get off to a poor start or are on a poor run of results," he said.

"The performance was excellent and the commitment from the players was excellent.

"It gives you a lot of encouragement going toe to toe with the title favourites".

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Rodney McAree has described Dungannon Swifts' performance in Saturday's 2-0 defeat by Carrick Rangers as an "embarrassment".

After the highs of a top half finish and Irish Cup triumph last season, McAree's side have started the season with four defeats in as many matches.

Saturday's loss at home to Carrick came courtesy of Adam Lecky's first-half double and McAree said the Swifts weren't "good enough" as they remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

"It was an embarrassment for me to be associated with," McAree said.

"I have to take responsibility, but it was embarrassing for the supporters and it was tough to watch.

"They don't deserve that."

Carrick continued their undefeated start to the season and McAree admitted "the hungrier team won" at Stangmore Park.

The 51-year-old called on his players to respond in their next game away to Bangor on Saturday.

"We started the game brightly and had opportunities," McAree said.

"We had two or three good chances, but we didn't show the hunger or desire that's needed to put the ball in the back of the net.

"Carrick put the ball in the box twice and scored from both of them. To be fair to Carrick, they looked hungrier and had the desire to win the game."

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Creating and taking chances has been Glenavon's "Achilles heel" according to manager Paddy McLaughlin, whose side are still seeking their first points of the season.

The Lurgan Blues were improved in their 2-0 defeat at Glentoran on Tuesday but are still to hit the net this season as they prepare to welcome Coleraine to Mourneview Park on Saturday (15:00 BST).

McLaughlin was happy with much of what his team did at the Oval, but is aware that performances must translate into points.

Glenavon are joint bottom with Dungannon Swifts, who are also yet to register this campaign, but there is no panic setting in according to the manager.

"It's been our Achilles heel so far this season - we're not being clinical or ruthless enough in the final third," McLaughlin said after their loss to Glentoran.

"It's a results business and we're disappointed with the results so far, but there were positives in the chances we created as we hadn't created anywhere near enough this season. If we can take the chances we are creating, hopefully the results will turn.

"People tend to panic after two or three games, but there's no panic with our boys. They've confidence in their ability and I've confidence in their ability. When we get scoring and points on the board, the season will take off.

"We've got ambitions to do well this year but have got off to a poor start, but as soon as we turn things around, there's enough ability in the changing room to climb the table."

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Holders Cliftonville progressed to the semi-final stage of the Women's Challenge Cup with a thumping 5-0 win against Crusaders at Seaview.

Linfield also cruised into the last four with an emphatic 5-1 victory against rivals Glentoran at Midgley Park.

Larne held off Championship side Ballyclare Comrades, fighting back to win 4-2 to move into the next round.

Derry City eased to a 3-0 win over Lisburn Ladies to book their place in the last four.

First-half goals from Naomi McLaughlin and Caitlin McGuinness gave the Reds a comfortable half-time lead against their north Belfast rivals.

They added to their advantage in the second half courtesy of another goal from Caitlin McGuinness and strikes from Marissa Callaghan and Katie Markey.

Linfield produced a similarly ruthless display to knock out Glentoran.

The Blues scored two early goals to race into the lead before Demi Vance missed a penalty before the break.

Mia Moore pulled one back for the visitors on the stroke of half-time, but a double from Eve Reilly and a goal for Cora Chambers secured Linfield's place in the semi-finals.

Larne survived a scare as they made a stirring second half comeback after trailing 2-1 a half-time against Ballyclare.

The important goals arrived in the last 20 minutes of the game as Aimee-Lee Peachy, Starr Dougherty and Erin Montgomery scored to see them through.

Three second-half goals were enough to help Derry beat fellow Women's Premiership side Lisburn.

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Interim Larne boss Gary Haveron praised Mark Randall's display as his side picked up their first win of the season in style with a 4-0 triumph over Portadown at Inver Park.

Matthew Lusty opened the scoring for the hosts with Randall then netting twice and Tiernan O'Connor rounding off the scoring.

And Haveron was pleased with midfielder Randall's two goals and his overall performance.

"We knew the importance of the game and to get three points," he told BBC Sport NI.

"When we got the first one it settled us, then the second from a well worked set- piece and credit to Alan Manus for that as he works on our attacking set-pieces.

"Mark Randall was a joy to watch all night then he dispatched the penalty and the fourth was the icing on the cake."

Randall also passed up the opportunity to top a fine display with a hat-trick. When the second penalty was awarded soon after the first, he allowed O'Connor to hit it.

"Mark is not about personal accolades, whatever is right for the team he will do. When Tiernan lifted the ball Mark was happy to let him hit it."

Haveron is in his second spell as interim boss in recent seasons and says he will discuss with the owners over the weekend their plans moving forward for appointing Nathan Rooney's permanent successor.

"I've been at the club eight years, and I've loved every second, it has been unbelievable learning under Tiernan [Lynch] and briefly Nathan," he added.

"I am enjoying preparing the boys for games, but the owners will decide what they what to do and we'll try to move forward.

"We will talk with them at the weekend and any role they ask me to do I will do."

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Dungannon Swifts manager Rodney McAree says his side can still take "a lot of positives" from the three defeats they have suffered to start their Irish Premiership campaign.

The Stangmore Park club, who finished fourth in the league last season and won the Irish Cup, have lost 3-0 to Linfield, 4-1 to Portadown and 2-0 to Coleraine at the start of the 2025-26 term.

"Things haven't been good for us over the first three games but there have been a lot of positives, positives in each game," said McAree.

"The Portadown match is maybe one we would want to forget about but there is no travesty in going to Coleraine and losing 2-0 with the team that they have at the moment.

"They're certainly going to be there around the top come the end of the season."

McAree believes poor defending was to blame for both the goals Swifts conceded in their meeting with the Bannsiders.

"What disappoints me most about losing 2-0 was that Coleraine are a very good side but none of their goals were goals that actually cut us wide open.

"You feel the two goals we have conceded are very poor. We're conceding soft goals so we have to eliminate that."

It took four matches for Dungannon to pick up their first win of the season last year and McAree hopes a similar scenario will unfold when his side host Carrick Rangers on Saturday.

"We're only one point worse off than we were after three games last season but we have to respond and we have to get ourselves going as quick as we possibly can.

"We've got another tough game coming up with Carrick at home. If we can get the performance we did in the second half against Coleraine we'll not be too far away."

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Coleraine assistant manager Kevin Deery says the Bannsiders want to "keep the momentum going" when they come up against Glenavon at Mourneview Park on Saturday.

The Ballycastle Road club have picked up seven points from their first three fixtures without conceding a goal while, in contrast, the Lurgan Blues are without a point after three defeats to commence their campaign.

"We're prepared for a tough game in Glenavon and one in which we want to keep this momentum going and win the game," Deery told BBC Sport NI.

"We're a brand new group, doing it how we want to do it and we want to put on a positive performance and pick up three points."

The former Institute boss is pleased that the team has managed to keep clean sheets in each of their three opening Premiership encounters.

"We haven't conceded a goal this season. We're delighted with the way we're digging in. We're pressing from the front and showing real guts to get the points on the board.

"It's been really positive from that sense."

Deery says new arrivals at the club before the transfer window closes are unlikely given the quality Coleraine have already been able to attract.

"We have a really competitive squad, a brilliant squad, so it would need to be proper quality to improve us.

"If that comes along we would of course have a look at it and try to do something that improves us."

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Glentoran assistant manager Tim McCann said that they hope to have striker Patrick Hoban back available soon.

Hoban, who signed for the Glens from Derry City in July, is yet to make his competitive debut after picking up an injury before the opening game against Portadown.

McCann is hopeful he will be one of a number of injured players Glentoran can welcome back in the next few weeks after they lost David Fisher to injury against the Ports with Ryan Cooney and Liam Burt also now doubts after going off against Glenavon midweek.

"Pat is making good progress, hopefully we get him back in training this week," McCann said after Tuesday's 2-0 home win.

"Ryan Cooney has a broken nose and a black eye and we have to assess the other boys."

The east Belfast side have won their opening three games without conceding a goal to top the Irish Premiership table and McCann has been delighted with their ability to shut teams out so far.

"If we can keep clean sheets, I always believe we will always have the quality to create chances and score goals," he added.

"Massive credit has to go to our defenders and our goalkeeper for that."

The Glens now make the trip to north Belfast to take on Crusaders, who picked up their first win of the season in a thrilling game against Bangor on Tuesday.

"Crusaders will have their tails up, going to Bangor is tough but they have obviously done well there.

"We'll see what kind of squad we have, we'll go there and give it a go, do our best and hope to come out on the right side of the result."

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Ballymena United manager Jim Ervin says all the members of his playing squad will have a significant role to play if the club is to have any success this season.

The Sky Blues boss has boosted his panel over the summer months and the Braidmen have begun their campaign with successive 2-0 away league wins over Glenavon and Portadown.

Competition for places are keen within the United squad, with the visit of Bangor to the Showgrounds on Saturday next up for Ervin's charges.

"We've now got a really competitive squad and we've got players disappointed that they're not starting and players who are disappointed they're not in the squad but it's a team game and it will take a squad effort for us to do anything this year," said Ervin.

"Everybody's going to play their part.

"It's going to be another extremely difficult game [against Bangor]. Lee Feeney has done a tremendous job there and we're looking forward to getting back home again."

Ervin was pleased with the character shown by his side in their two opening victories on their travels.

"We work extremely hard on the training pitch, no matter who we are playing, and the boys have stood up and been counted. It's two games away from home and it's six points and two clean sheets.

"For as long as we can stay in games and keep defending well we've got matchwinners in the team.

"We just look at the next game each time and make sure we give each team the respect that they deserve.

"Our boys have stood up and dealt with everything that has been thrown at them."

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Gary Haveron predicts "a really difficult game" for his Larne team when they host Portadown on Friday evening (19:45 BST).

The Invermen claimed a draw at Cliftonville on Tuesday as Haveron returned as interim boss following the shock departure of Nathan Rooney on Monday.

As assistant manager under Rooney, the former Glentoran and Carrick Rangers manager temporarily took the reins last season for when Tiernan Lynch left the club and this time he has indicated he would be open to making the switch permanent.

However, he acknowledged that will be based on results and following their midweek draw to secure their opening point of the season, is seeking to build upon that result but anticipates a tricky assignment against the Ports.

"They (Portadown) are building on the success they had last year when they had a fantastic campaign," he told BBC Sport NI after the Cliftonville game.

"Niall (Currie) is well known for picking up gems and really good players. We'll have to dust ourselves down and from tonight as that was an end to end game with a lot of energy expended. We'll have to be prepared and we will."

Mark Randall picked up a dead leg at Solitude and will likely miss Friday's game.

Haveron lamented the number of absentees through injury or suspension with the list including Leroy Millar, Andy Ryan, Cian Bolger, Jordan McEneff, Aaron Donnelly and Conor McKendry, but reports there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

"We have eight or nine players who are potential starters for our team," he said.

"When those boys come back, and they should be back in the next few weeks, I think we will take some stopping."

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Portadown manager Niall Currie insists "common sense has to prevail at some stage" in terms of fixture planning as his team prepares for their third game in the space of a week.

The Ports travel to Inver Park on Friday (19:45 BST) seeking to bounce back from Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat by Ballymena United, following their first win of the season away to Dungannon Swifts on Saturday.

Larne also played in midweek, being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Cliftonville, but their planned game last weekend against Crusaders was postponed due to their involvement in Europe.

Currie feels his team have been put at a disadvantage this week with Larne's full-time status another factor counting against his players for a Friday game.

"I'm all for Friday night games but common sense has to prevail at some stage," he told BBC Sport NI after Tuesday's defeat.

"To ask part time footballers to play three games in six days, I'm baffled by it.

"Larne has been very clever. Their guys will be sitting watching analysis videos all day and my guys will come off the scaffolding roof and then head to Larne on Friday night.

"For me, certain circumstances need looked at and for us to be playing on a Friday night after another two-day turnaround is crazy stuff.

"Hopefully they will look at that in future, but all we can do is rest them up and see who is available on Friday. We know we're in for a tough night but you never know."

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The BBC will show the second leg of the Uefa Conference League play-off between Linfield and Shelbourne on Thursday, 28 August (19:45 BST).

The return game at Windsor Park in Belfast will be available to watch on the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app.

Thursday's first leg will also be shown on the iPlayer, website and app, with coverage beginning at 19:40 BST (19:45 kick-off).

A place in the lucrative league phase of the competition is the prize on offer.

The teams have already met in European competition this term, having been paired together in the first round of Champions League qualifying in July.

Shelbourne ran out 2-1 aggregate victors on that occasion, winning the first leg 1-0 at Tolka Park, followed by a 1-1 draw at Windsor Park.

Since dropping into the Uefa Conference League, Linfield have seen off Lithuania's Zalgiris and Vikingur of the Faroe Islands in the second and third qualifying rounds of that competition.

Were they to overcome their Irish Premier Division opponents, David Healy's side would emulate the achievement of Larne, who became the first Irish Premiership side to progress to the group or league stages of a major European competition last season.

After defeating Linfield, Shelbourne lost to Qarabag of Azerbaijan in the Champions League second qualifying round and then fell to Croatian outfit Rijeka in the Europa League third qualifying round.