Tag: Premiership
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Like Coleraine, Ballymena and Glenavon before them, Larne’s title escapade is good for the Irish League
The table-topping side in the Irish Premiership is a non-Belfast team. Granted, some may argue, the only non-Belfast full-time team in the division, but Larne’s presence at the summit of the Irish League is nonetheless significant. Given it is 20 years since a team from outside the Northern Irish capital claimed the Gibson Cup, and…
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The growing spread of talent in the Irish League highlights the value of consistency in fighting at the top
For those in attendance at Windsor Park this mid-week to watch the meet of Linfield and Glenavon, they observed an enthralling affair under the floodlights in south Belfast. It was an end-to-end spectacle with chances aplenty in both penalty boxes, the Blues ultimately shading an open five-goal thriller after coming from behind to beat their…
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The gap between the Premiership bottom-six and Championship top-half has never been narrower
In this mid-week’s Northern Irish cup action, there were two notable upsets of Premiership sides by top-half Championship teams. Niall Currie marked his return to former club Carrick Rangers for the first time since his departure from the Amber Army last year with an emphatic 1-4 win with east Belfast outfit Dundela in the County…
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Glentoran’s strong start indicates lessons learned on how to compete for titles
Fresh off a victory in the County Antrim Shield over Ards on Tuesday evening, Glentoran’s imperious start to the season continues as they secured their semi-final spot in the competition. The east Belfast outfit face arch-rivals Linfield for a spot in the final, where they will play either their near-neighbours Dundela or three-peat-chasing Larne if…
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Northern Irish stadia and facility upgrades are required imminently
Don’t take this opinion piece the wrong way. It is obviously tremendous news that we are seeing reports by clubs of full attendances for matches. The attraction of the product, heightened exponentially from a decade ago, is such that greater crowds gathering to watch their local team in Northern Ireland is entirely justifiable. However, caveats…
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Bangor vs Cliftonville preview: Bring on the Shield
The County Antrim Shield is Bangor’s port of call now, as the visit of Cliftonville beckons in a 16-strong first round. While it is a competition perhaps lower down the list of priorities for teams like the Reds compared to the Premiership and the Irish Cup, it is still a trophy rich in history and…
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Linfield’s title hopes could hinge on not being left feeling blue on Sundays
In Northern Ireland, there is set to be change in the way matchdays are presented from this season on. The first Premiership matchday of the new season saw a spread from Friday to Sunday – a curtain-raiser building into a main course Saturday of four matches, concluding on the final day of the week with…
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Northern Ireland’s last two in Europe cannot let euphoria cloud their aims
It is fair to say that for Irish League clubs, the first step on their road to reaching a European group stage was relatively rocky. Two of the four representatives advanced, while the other two must wait one more year before making a stamp on the continent once more.
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