Dean Shiels
Former Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts boss on BBC Sportsound

Linfield have caught on very early that the space is out wide for Linfield with Limavady United trying to congest the middle of the park.

Billy-Joe Burns does well to pick out Danny Gibson at the back post.

Stephen McGuinness gets across just in time to clear for the hosts before referee Louise Thompson blows for a Bangor free-kick.

A first sign of Limavady as an attacking force as they win a free-kick midway inside the Linfield half but it's all to no avail as the assistant's flag goes up on the near side.

The visitors are enjoying plenty of early possession as they look to probe for an opening.

The Seasiders look content to sit back in a compact shape and soak up the pressure.

Glentoran almost in again.

Marcus Kane meets a free-kick with his head at the right-hand post, but he can only hit the side netting.

Despite the Glens' early pressure, it is still goalless in east Belfast.

Linfield enjoying most of the early possession as they look to settle against the Premiership newcomers.

First chance and it falls the way of the hosts.

A long diagonal ball from right to left is headed back across goal by Joshua Daniels and there is Ben Gallagher with a left-footed volley from 15 yards; but it just zips over the crossbar.

Promising start for the Glens.

We are under way at Solitude as Cliftonville host Dungannon Swifts in the Irish Premiership.

Before kick-off, a minute's silence was observed in memory of Cliftonville volunteer Aoife Doyle.

Referee Louise Thompson whistles to get the action under way at Clandeboye Park.

Philip Lowry gets the ball rolling at a recently developed Limavady Showgrounds.

The two clubs met as recently as a month ago in a pre season friendly at today's venue but the Blues won't want reminded of their last competitive meeting - a 1-0 Irish Cup defeat back in February - albeit over the mountain at Coleraine.

We are off at a drizzly Oval.

Hopefully we will be in for a much brighter game of football!

A reminder of the fixtures ahead this afternoon.

Image source, BBC Sport NI

Sean Ward
BBC Sport NI pundit on BBC Radio Ulster

Glentoran are a team obsessed with winning trophies, and it is now a dream to get back to those days.

They have started relatively well and I think there will be a Glentoran victory today.

Cliftonville are unchanged from last week's 1-0 defeat by Linfield as Jim Magilton sticks with the same starting XI for today's Irish Premiership encounter with Dungannon Swifts at Solitude.

Rodney McAree makes three changes from Dungannon's 2-0 victory over Bangor as Tiernan Kelly, Kealan Dillon and Shea Gordon replace Leo Alves, Kris Lowe and Jamie Glackin. Alves drops to the bench, while Lowe and Glackin miss out.

The sides are level on six points after three matches, having both recorded two wins and one defeat so far this season.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Wightman, Samuels, Wilson, Hale (c), Healy, McClelland, McMaster, Quinn, Bannon, McStravock.

Subs: Belshaw, O'Connor, Conlan, Thompson, Gormley, Hawthorne, Sheridan.

Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Scott, McKeown, Kelly, Dillon, Gordon, Doyle, Wallace, Bigirimana (c), Uzokwe, McAllister.

Subs: Henderson, McGinty, Smith, Mitchell, Alves, Johnston, Anderson.

Referee: Shane Andrews

Image source, BBC Sport

Dean Shiels
Former Coleraine and Dungannon Swifts boss on BBC Sportsound

In regards to the standard, I think there is a decline in quality. Our teams in Europe this year have not been good enough. There is no way to sugar coat it, the black and white is, we did not perform well enough.

I have no doubt summer football would enhance the performance in Europe and make it more competitive, but I think there are deeper problems than that.

I think we need to be developing our own players. I look around all the Premiership clubs about youth development, I do not see enough teams developing their own players.

I see teams wanting to develop players to try and push them across to England and get money. But I don't see enough pushing of coaches and development of players to develop players to play in their first team, not just make money out of them.

I think that is an issue that is deeper than just teams going out of Europe early.

Lee Feeney makes three changes to the side beaten 2-0 by Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park.

Oisin Devlin, Lucas McRoberts, and Stephen McGuinness all come into the starting line-up, with Jay Boyd and Jeremi Rodriguez dropping to the bench while Steven McCullough misses out this afternoon.

Stephen Baxter opts for a single alteration following the Gers' first defeat of the season against league leaders Coleraine.

Joe Crowe makes way for Paul Heatley, who enters the attack looking to extend his run of scoring in every appearance so far this campaign.

Bangor: Deane, Neale, Francis, Lynch, Harrison, Hassin, Mulvenna, Devlin, McRoberts, McGuinness, Hughes.

Subs: Solis Grogan, Mitchell, Cushnie, O’Mahony, Boyd, Strachan, Rodriguez.

Carrick Rangers: Gartside, Place, Burns, Forsythe, Callacher, Gibson, McCullough, Steele, Buchanan-Rolleston, Heatley, Snoddy.

Subs: Agnew, Nelson, O’Connor, Maciulaitis, Crowe, Cherry, Hastings.

Image source, BBC Sport

Linfield have signed attacking midfielder Kitt Nelson on a season-long loan from Preston North End.

The 21-year-old arrives at Windsor Park after scoring five goals in 33 games on loan at Cork City during the 2025 League of Ireland season.

Nelson came through the Preston academy but is yet to make his senior debut for the Lilywhites.

"I'm really happy to be here," Nelson told Linfield TV.

"I heard about the interest a few weeks ago and I was keen as soon as I heard about it.

"Once the ball got rolling it got done really quickly and I'm happy to be here now."

Nelson is Linfield's fifth summer signing after Ryan Nolan, Kobei Moore, Dylan Wells and Aidan Glavin.

Linfield started the Irish Premiership season with a shock 3-0 home loss to Ballymena United but bounced back with victories over Glentoran and Cliftonville.

Image source, Pacemaker Press

Glentoran have announced the signing of defender Ethan Schilte-Brown on a season-long loan from Kilmarnock, subject to international clearance.

The 21-year-old made 18 Scottish Premiership appearances for the Rugby Park club last season and was named Kilmarnock's Young Player of the Year for 2025-26.

He has featured once more in the Premiership this season, taking his league appearance tally for Killie to 19.

The move will offer Glens manager Declan Devine additional options in central defence after the arrival of Zeno Ibsen Rossi earlier in the summer.

Schilte-Brown came through the youth system at MLS side Orlando City before moving to Scotland and joining Kilmarnock's academy.

He had loan spells with Cumnock Juniors, Albion Rovers and Dumbarton before establishing himself in the Kilmarnock first-team squad.

A Canada youth international, Schilte-Brown featured for Kilmarnock in their pre-season friendly against the Glens at the Oval during pre-season.

"This is a big opportunity for me and one which I am relishing. I am determined to make the most of my time here," said Schilte-Brown.

"You want to be competing at the top end of the table, challenging for trophies and playing in big games, and that was a major attraction for me."

Image source, Glentoran FC

Sean Ward
BBC Sport NI pundit on BBC Radio Ulster

I think the way the league has gone, you are looking at four teams. That is no disrepct to anyone.

You are looking at the likes of Larne, Linfield, Coleraine and Glentoran.

Coleraine, so far, are a team littered with outstanding Irish League players and they are probably the biggest challengers for Larne this year.