Tag: South Belfast
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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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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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Stewart Nixon’s resurgence is an inspirational feelgood tale of the 2023/24 campaign
Seeing a player who has battled hard through personal adversity to return to their peak performance will never not be a satisfying sight. That’s exactly the case with Stewart Nixon, the flying forward whose injury hell finally looks to be behind him. At the start of this season, the fleet-footed attacker made a surprise loan…
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Tiernan Lynch and Larne will keep reaping the rewards of going all-in for County Antrim Shield
The County Antrim Shield’s unfortunate reduced status in the matchday calendar has come as a result of an evolution of priorities in the Irish League. With full-time football and increased professionalism, European money has been considered much more of the essence among those dining at the top table during the past half-decade. Those lucrative spots…
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Momentum is the key theme as BetMcLean Cup Semi-Final double-header tees up tasty decider
Another BetMcLean Cup showpiece has been determined after the two semi-finals reached their conclusions during the week. Surviving overnight rain and frost to take place as scheduled, the premise of a last-four clash is based on being cold-blooded when your chances come along – and while neither encounter may not live too long in the…
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Bringing back salary cap a small step but giant leap towards professionalism in the Irish League
The hive of discussion on how to improve the Irish League is always abuzz. Whether on or off the pitch, the spoken, overarching ambition of organisation CEO Gerard Lawlor is to see greater professionalism throughout the NI Football League. Earlier in the season, the former Cliftonville chairman unveiled the league body’s five-year plan titled ‘A…
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Upset value in the Irish Cup on full display in the Fifth Round… with every chance of continuing
In the Irish Cup Sixth Round, there were three all-Premiership ties pulled out of the hat that all but confirms the amount of top-flight clubs will have at least been slashed in half from the last-32 by the time the quarter-finals roll around. League leaders Linfield will host relegation-battling Ballymena United, second-placed Larne entertain Glenavon…
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Linfield haven’t been bogged down by haves and have nots… it’s a pure winning mentality
The inevitability of Linfield Football Club strikes again. Despite key bodies being unavailable, despite the chips appearing to be down, despite the outside financial investment around them, there has never been any withering of their title ambitions. It’s the way David Healy’s team are built. They never make excuses for themselves, even in moments like…
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