Cliftonville threaten at the other end as Rory Hale latches onto a slip by Ruairi Boorman before he cuts the ball back for Brian Healy, who fires over from 12 yards.

Signs of enterprise in attack from Portadown as Lee Chapman and Finn Flanagan create a shooting opportunity for Matthew Carson whose shot from the edge of the penalty area is well blocked.

Dramatic start here at the Oval with another shout for a penalty at the opposite end of the pitch.

The ball is crossed from the Glentoran left and it hits Kym Nelson on the arm after rebounding up from his leg.

Protests echo around the ground yet again but Tony Clarke remains unfazed.

Big shout for a penalty to Carrick.

Paul Heatley charges into the area and looks like he may be caught by Marcus Kane.

However, referee Tony Clarke puts his whistle to his lips but then waves play on.

No penalty, but that is a huge talking point already.

Limavady United almost catch Cliftonville out on the counterattack by Philip Lowry slips as he tries to play in Jamie McGonigle and the ball runs through to PJ Morrison in the Cliftonville goal.

An early free-kick opportunity for Ballymena United as Caoimhin McConnell delivers the ball into the penalty area but it's a nice early touch for recalled Portadown goalkeeper Aaron McCarey.

We are under way at the Showgrounds as Cliftonville get the ball rolling.

Portadown's Ben Kennedy gets us under way at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

There are plenty of subplots surrounding today's game but the main narrative must surely be one of these two teams picking up an elusive victory - just one win between them all season.

Referee Mark Dillon blows his whistle, and the home side gets the ball rolling in north Belfast.

Their first meeting last season brought four goals, two red cards and two missed penalties.

If we get half of that action this afternoon, we are in for a treat!

Glentoran's Jordan Jenkins gets the ball rolling at a sun-kissed Oval

A reminder of today's four Irish Premiership fixtures.

Image source, BBC Sport

Paul Leeman
Former Glentoran captain on BBC Sport NI

Glentoran is a massive football club. There were rumours they had approached Jim Magilton, and he opted to stay at Cliftonville and it has been very quiet since.

I am surprised at that, it is such a big club so you would expect they would have gone out and got their next choice.

Magilton, for me, would have been the choice. He has done a great job at Cliftonville.

Liam Beckett
Sportsound summariser

I thought Linfield from the first whistle to the last, were top notch. Slowly but surely Linfield have been getting results and last night was no fluke.

Coleraine can look for all the excuses they want but they were well beaten on the night. It throws the title race wide open.

While both Limavady United and Cliftonville have picked up the same number of points over the last five games, it will be the Roesiders who will be the happier of the two clubs going into today's meeting at the Showgrounds.

After losing the first four games following their return to the top flight, Paul Owens' side picked up back-to-back wins over Crusaders and Bangor thanks mostly to loan signing Jamie McGonigle, who bagged himself four goals.

The experienced frontman had to sit out last week's narrow defeat to parent club Coleraine, but returns this afternoon to lead the line once more.

McGonigle is one of three changes made by boss Owens, as fellow loanee from the Coleraine Showgrounds, Alfie Gaston, also returns to the starting XI along with the experienced Danny Lafferty as Rodney Brown, Sean Carlin and Leon Boyd drop out.

The visitors also suffered defeat last weekend as they went down 2-1 at home to Glentoran, their third loss in the last five games.

Reds manager Jim Magilton shuffles his pack making five changes to the side which lost to the Glens with Aaron Wightman, Daniel O'Connor, Luke Conlan, Joe Gormley and Joe Sheridan all handed starts.

Rhyss Campbell, Shaun Leppard and Ben Quinn drop to the bench while Oli Samuels and Liam McStravick aren't involved after picking up knocks.

Limavady United: Gallagher, Farren, T Boorman, P Lowry, McGonigle, R Boorman, Butcher, Lafferty, Gaston, Wilson, Mullan.

Subs: Doherty, Duffy, Tosh, O'Donnell, Brown, Carlin, Boyd.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Wightman, O'Connor, Hale, Healy, Conlan, McClelland, McMaster, Gormley, Bannon, Sheridan.

Subs: Cremen-Cowan, Campbell, Leppard, Thompson, Quinn, Stanfield, Hawthorne.

Image source, BBC Sport

Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton laments the defensive lapses which saw his side lose 2-1 to Glentoran at Solitude, while Glens coach Paddy McCourt praises the character shown by the visitors.

Philip Major
Sportsound summariser

I think David Jeffrey will be under some pressure, particularly from himself.

There is a lot at stake at here today.

Two teams in desperate need of a win meet at the Ballymena Showgrounds this afternoon.

The hosts, without a victory since the opening day, make three changes to the side which started last week's draw at Dungannon Swifts.

Defender Scott Whiteside is suspended following his sending off, Chris McKee drops to the bench and there is no place in the squad for James Hood.

Daithi McCallion replaces Whiteside in defence and there are starts for Finley Thorndike and Michael Leetch.

Portadown manager David Jeffrey is still searching for his first three points and makes four changes to the team which lost at Bangor a week ago.

Lewis MacKinnon is serving a suspension after being shown a red card against the Seasiders with goalkeeper Jamie Barry and the forward duo of Eamon Fyfe and James Teelan named among the subs.

That means a recall in nets for Aaron McCarey, while captain Gary Thompson, Baris Altintop and Rhys Breen also return.

Ballymena United: Walsh, Toure, Glynn, Sule (c), Archer, Rutkowski, Thorndike, McCallion, Leetch, McConnell, Lyons-Foster.

Subs: Breen, McKee, Murray, McEleney, Fallon, Burns, MacManus.

Portadown: McCarey, Isamala, Carson, Altintop, Chapman, Breen, O'Mahoney, Hewitt, Thompson (c), Kennedy, Flanagan.

Subs: Barry, Town, Falls, Fyfe, Teelan, Obhakhan, Scott.

Image source, BBC Sport

David Jeffrey takes charge of his 1300 game as an Irish League manager this afternoon.

Image source, BBC Sport

Dungannon Swifts were held to a 1-1 draw by 10-man Ballymena United at Stangmore Park as the visitors played for more than an hour a player down following Scot Whiteside's first-half dismissal.

Igor Rutowski gave Ballymena the lead before Whiteside saw red for a rash challenge.

Danny Wallace equalised for the Swifts four minutes before half-time but despite dominating possession Rodney McAree's side were unable to fashion a winning goal.

Declan Caddell has responded to his side's 1-0 defeat by Linfield by making three alterations to the Crusaders starting line-up.

Graham Kelly, Ryan McKay, and Lloyd Anderson all come into the team, replacing Harry Jewitt-White, Jack Doherty and Lewis Barr.

Bangor boss Lee Feeney makes just one change following the Seasiders' 3-1 victory over Portadown.

Harry Lynch is drafted into the starting XI for today's contest with Caomhan McGuinness dropping to the bench.

Crusaders: Callister, Forsythe, Kelly, Rough, Weir, Dunlop, Rocks, Wardell, Reid, McKay, Anderson.

Subs: Blaney, Jewitt-White, Doherty, Williamson, Bond, Maguire, Barr.

Bangor: Deane, Neale, Francis, Lynch, Harrison, Mulvenna, McCullough, Mitchell, Devlin, McRoberts, Hughes.

Subs: Solis Grogan, McGuinness, Hassin, Arthurs, O’Mahony, Boyd, Strachan.

Image source, BBC Sport