Tag: East Belfast
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Why flying Altrincham ace Chris Conn-Clarke could be Northern Ireland’s next breakout star
The Northern Ireland senior men’s first international break of 2024 is a somewhat low-key double-header, with a couple of away friendlies firstly in Romania and then Scotland ahead of the start of the Nations League in September. They tackle the Romanians at the Arena Nationala in Bucharest on Friday, March 22 before heading to Hampden…
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Glentoran have tools to be a success story… but it all depends on finding right manager
Here’s the long and short of it – the news of Warren Feeney’s Glentoran departure had been coming. After a humbling 3-0 home defeat to Loughgall and over a dozen supporters’ clubs declaring their message of no confidence in the former Northern Ireland striker, what was an already precarious position for the man in the…
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Cup progression further inspires Linfield to do talking on the pitch after turbulent week
In the first of two successive Sunday specials against Championship opposition for Linfield, round one passed with little hitch. Although the BetMcLean Cup showpiece against Portadown is on the seventh day by design, with crowds of over 11,000 flocking to Windsor Park each of the previous two editions, their visit to Institute was more through…
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More than meets the eye behind quartet of Premiership vs Championship Irish Cup ties
The Sports Direct Premiership is on pause for a weekend and the Clearer Water Irish Cup is at the centre of attentions as the top-flight’s leading four each face clashes of a different kind. NI Football League CEO Gerard Lawlor has previously put on record his vision of a so-called ‘weekend of football’ stretching from…
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Larne have played January market to a tee and will keep competitive edge because of it
At the start of the winter window of 2024, I wrote on this site that January would play a key role in deciding who would emerge as Sports Direct Premiership champions come the close of the season. Larne took that notion to heart on Friday night, and it is no surprise that they are in…
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In-form Annagh United saving their best for last… and could still make their Play-Off say
The Playr-Fit Championship never disappoints – and twists in the title race weren’t the only piece on the agenda this weekend. At the summit, Dundela succumbed to a heavy defeat that invited those among the chasing pack to close the gap; an opportunity taken gleefully by all three of their closest challengers. A simultaneous 4-0…
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Mentality monsters Larne will be wary that outsiders Glentoran can still dent title race
The race for Gibson Cup glory took one fresh turn in the path in midweek and will wind down another on Friday night. Question marks hanging over Linfield are now Cliftonville’s to bear the brunt of following the visitors’ 3-0 success at Solitude in midweek, as a trio of second-half strikes put the Blues back…
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With the grounds for complaint, how do you solve a problem like progressive Dundela?
The Playr-Fit Championship promotion race has been the business in the 2023/24 season. With as many twists and turns as a sidewinder snake in a division where no result is off-limits and no prisoners are taken, the hunt for a top-flight place has been fiercely competitive and involved a vast number of teams. However, the…
