Tag: Larne
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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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Glentoran’s eggs all in Irish Cup basket… that can work to their advantage against Linfield
After navigating a potentially tricky Irish Cup quarter-final against spirited Ballyclare Comrades in a professional manner, Glentoran are marching on in the Irish Cup and hungry to win it. As the only one of the remaining quartet in the tournament whose Sports Direct Premiership title chances are realistically dead and buried, it’s significant for the…
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Why Cliftonville’s latest quest for Irish Cup glory draws so much from success of 1979
Cliftonville are within touching distance of the Irish Cup Final – a sound that sets alarm bells ringing more than anything these days. The Reds’ progression in Ireland’s oldest footballing cup competition, of which they are a founder member and have won eight times but only once since 1909, is akin to an ambitious mountain…
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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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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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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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Ambition of Irish League must be matched by Government with Sub-Regional release
After a two-year hiatus, the Northern Ireland Executive is back up and running – and the to-do list in respect of domestic sport is a long one. With preparations for the Euro 2028 Finals to account for that includes the redevelopment of west Belfast’s Casement Park, which is scheduled to host five fixtures at the…
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