Tag: County Antrim
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Crunch clash of wounded Linfield and red-hot Cliftonville is ultimate mentality battle
The split is within touching distance, the pressure is mounting and a three-way title race is still a three-way title race. That said, an alarming dip in form for Linfield at precisely the wrong moment has thrown a fresh spanner in the works. Larne and Cliftonville continue to motor on having gone 36 games unbeaten…
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Top-six face-offs poised to cap off massive week of decision in Championship title race
A highly charged Playr-Fit Championship title race that is too close for comfort took a fresh twist in midweek when Dundela defeated Bangor at Wilgar Park – and the weekend fixture list could be make-or-break as far as promotion challenges and top-half ambitions are concerned. That’s because the top six all face each other in…
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Newry’s fight isn’t over… but they paid penalty for missed chances in key two-game stretch
Newry City were made to pay the penalty at Lakeview Park on Tuesday night, compounding 96 hours or so where opportunity knocked but they failed to make the most of it. A goalless draw with Loughgall, who leapfrogged Coleraine into sixth-place with five rounds of Sports Direct Premiership fixtures left until the split, was a…
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Improving Dungannon Swifts perfectly placed to launch shock surge into European Play-Offs
With just five rounds left until the split in the Sports Direct Premiership, permutations all across the league are being discussed ahead of a crunch climax. A three-team title race is now led by Larne, inspired to a 2-0 triumph over Loughgall courtesy of Scottish striker Andy Ryan’s brace on Friday night. That fired the…
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Ten of the brightest lights of the 2023/24 Sports Direct Premiership campaign
By Callum McFadden The Sports Direct Premiership has thrown up more twists and turns and is on the cusp of a dramatic climax, with a three-horse title race at one end, a tense fight for a European Play-Off place in the middle and a dogfight to escape the relegation battle at the bottom. Some existing…
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BBC NI spot on to show Ballymacash versus Glentoran in Irish Cup… and it sets a precedent
When the Irish Cup Sixth Round draw was revealed, I penned an article shortly after listing my clear preference for the coveted BBC Northern Ireland broadcast slot. And with the last-eight draw having been made, I still say the national broadcaster’s decision to screen said suggested match to an international audience was spot on. Yes,…
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Big guns beware… Ballyclare and Newington showed they can cut it when chips look down
The Irish Cup last-16 proved a fruitful round for Championship clubs, with six entering the fray and four coming out the other side unscathed. Indeed, there wasn’t a single instance of a Premiership club toppling a second-tier adversary, with north Down duo Bangor and Ards eliminated by division rivals Portadown and Institute respectively. Harking back…
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Michael Moore: Tight-knit dressing room just what Ballymacash need to light up our PIL promotion bid
From the midst of a Mid-Ulster League title race to a televised showdown in the Irish Cup, it’s been a whirlwind two years for Ballymacash Rangers. Battling hard for promotion, it was an objective they would ultimately fulfil; 79 points out of a possible 90 was good enough to fend off Crewe United and take…
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