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Irish Premiership - Linfield, Coleraine, Limavady, Larne and Glens win, Carrick draw with Crues

That is all from tonight's full programme of games in the Irish Premiership.

Linfield maintain their lead at the top with a three-goal victory at Ballymena United, while Coleraine remain on their tail with an identical margin against struggling Portadown.

Three was also the magic number for Larne, while Duncan Ferguson secured his first win as manager of Glentoran, Limavady come from behind to stun Cliftonville, while Carrick and Crusaders play out a draw.

We will have reports, reaction and highlights from this evening's domestic action on the BBC Sport NI website & app.

International football takes centre stage tomorrow with live coverage of Northern Ireland hosting Ukraine, while we will also have text updates from the Republic of Ireland's trip to Austria.

Until then, we will bid you goodnight.

The Seasiders are level!

Mackenzie Strachan unleashes an ambitious effort from distance which Andrew Mills can only parry into the path of Ben Cushnie at the near post.

Cushnie reacts quickest to fire home from close range, with Jordan Stewart unable to prevent the ball from finding the net.

Bangor threaten from a throw-in on the left as Harry Lynch delivers into the box, but the initial ball is headed clear.

The ball ricochets around the penalty area before eventually falling to Iestyn Hughes on the right, but his effort flies wide of the target.

Harry Lynch delivers a superb cross from the left towards Lewis Francis at the far post, who manages to direct the ball into the path of Ben Arthurs.

With his back to goal, Arthurs attempts an awkward flick towards the net, but his effort drifts wide.

We're back underway at The Oval, with Glentoran leading Bangor 1-0 thanks to Jordan Stewart's first-half strike.

Can Duncan Ferguson secure his first victory as Glens boss in front of the home crowd, or will the Seasiders mount a second-half response?

That is Gers' biggest chance of the evening!

Nathan Gartside goes long, Adam Lecky flicks it into Paul Heatley’s path, and Heatley is in, but with just Shea Callister to beat, the winger is denied by the feet of the Crues goalkeeper.

The home side break the deadlock eight minutes before half-time and what a goal it is.

Scottish winger Jay Henderson picks the ball up midway inside the opposition half and is allowed to move forward unimpeded before drilling a low shot from fully 30 yards past the despairing dive of Aaron McCarey.

The visitors double their advantage as Matthew Fitzpatrick, at the back post, heads Kyle McClean's corner back into the danger area.

The ball eventually falls to Kitt Nelson who fires into the feet of Isaac Baird who turns quickly before firing a low shot past David Walsh.

the league leaders are two up and looking very comfortable here.

Coleraine head coach Ruaidhri Higgins hinted in the wake of last week's defeat at Linfield that there would be repercussions - and he's as good as his word.

The Bannsiders' boss makes no less than six changes to the team which started at Windsor Park last Saturday for tonight's visit of bottom club Portadown.

Lewis Webb, Will Patching and top scorer Matthew Shevlin all drop to the bench, while there is no place in the squad for Aidan Wilson, Ben Doherty or Finn Tonks.

Goalkeeper Ryan Schofield gets his first league start; Lyndon Kane, Jay Henderson, Joe Thomson and Adam Brooks all return, while there is a second debut for defender Charles Dunne who only rejoined the club last month.

It's a lot simpler for visiting manager David Jeffrey who makes just two changes to the side which began last weekend's 1-1 draw at home to Ballymena United.

Lewis MacKinnon and Finn Flanagan are named among the replacements with Paris Altintop and Sean O'Mahoney coming in.

Coleraine: Schofield, Kane, Stewart, Cooper (c), Ives, Henderson, Brooks, McDonald, Wylie, Thomson, Dunne.

Subs: Webb, Boyle, McGregor, Patching, Shevlin, Slevin, Devine.

Portadown: McCarey (c), Isamala, Carson, Altintop, Chapman, Fife, King, Teelen, Scott, Hewitt, Kennedy.

Subs: Barry, MacKinnon, Minzamba, Towe, Falls, Wells, Flanagan.

Referee: Evan Boyce.

Coleraine v Portadown
Image caption, Coleraine v Portadown

Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins said that the vacant managerial job at Maccabi Haifa is "not something that appeals to me" despite being included in the club's shortlist.

The 42-year-old had been linked with the managerial position at the Israeli side following the departure of Barak Bakhar, but Higgins said his focus remains on winning the Irish Premiership with Coleraine for just the second time in their history.

The Bannsiders won the Irish Cup for the first time since 2018 during Higgins' first full season in charge last campaign and they currently sit second in the league after a strong start to the season.

"There was definitely something in it, but you know how it works nowadays, it's very much data-driven and computerised," Higgins said.

"All I know is I was on a data-driven shortlist, but that's as much as I can say and it's not something that appeals to me. That's the truth.

"I genuinely mean this, this is the happiest I've been in football in a long, long time. I've never been as well looked after in my career, from 14 years of age when I went to England to Coventry, I've never been as happy.

"The way this club looks after me, the staff and everyone that is at this club has been unbelievable. I absolutely love it here and I have a job to do and I've been brought in to do that job and I want to see the job through."

Read the full article here.

Ruaidhri Higgins
Inpho

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