Irish League Football

Image source, Press Eye

Limavady United secured promotion to the Irish Premiership and the Championship title after overcoming Annagh United 2-0 in Saturday's top-two tussle at the BMG Arena.

United needed to avoid defeat to finish as champions and with it promotion to the Premiership.

John Butcher was Limavady's hero with the striker bagging a double.

Butcher slotted home the opener on 14 minutes from a penalty after Annagh's Ross Redman was sent off for handball.

After seeing an effort go over the bar Butcher sealed the win late in the game, finishing after being set-up by Alfie Gaston.

The Roesiders will have top-flight football to look forward next season while Annagh will be hoping to achieve the same when they come up against Crusaders in the promotion/relegation play-off.

Image source, PACEMAKER

Crusaders manager Declan Caddell says his players have been "exceptional" after the 1-0 victory over Glenavon in Saturday's relegation showdown at Mourneview Park.

The Crues went into the game two points clear of the Lurgan Blues in the penultimate round of fixtures.

Fraser Bryden volleyed home in the second half to ensure a play-off place for the Crues while Glenavon drop to the Championship.

Crusaders have hit form at just the right time, with a last-gasp draw against Bangor and 4-0 victory over Portadown seeing them move off the bottom above Glenavon before Saturday's crucial win.

"It's good to get the win - it's a relief," said Caddell.

"It's been a tough season for us. We dug ourselves into a hole but the way the players have responded in the past couple of weeks has been exceptional.

"So today were we at out best? No, we were miles off it but it wasn't the type of game to get the ball down and play.

"There was so much at stake, it was nervy and credit to Glenavon, they threw everything at us.

"But we managed to get our noses in front and defended soundly for the rest of the game. I'm happy."

Image source, PACEMAKER

Glenavon boss Michael O'Connor says he feels for the Lurgan Blues fans after Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Crusaders saw his team relegated from the Premiership.

Fraser Bryden scored the only goal in the second half in the relegation showdown at Mourneview Park to send Glenavon down and secure a play-off spot for the Crues.

Former Northern Ireland midfielder O'Connor replaced Paddy McLaughlin in the post in October after the team started the season with 11 straight defeats.

He said: "I'm gutted - gutted for the fans. Since the day I came in they've backed us.

"They've come even when we were losing games, they kept coming in numbers. They're the ones I feel for the most.

O'Connor was left to rue his team's inability to find a way past the Crusaders defence.

"We gave it a go - when I came in I still believed we could stay up but I think today we just didn't have that clinical edge in the box.

"Obviously in our box it's a soft goal to give away. We didn't stop a cross and we didn't track the runner.

"That just sums up our season really.

"It's really important we reflect on this year as coaches and there will be changes next year to try to get this club back to where it should be - in the Premiership."

Jana McCabe
BBC Sport NI journalist

Image source, Inpho

Glentoran manager Declan Devine said Friday's match against Larne at the Oval is probably the club's biggest in over 20 years [19:45 BST].

The Glens welcome league leaders Larne to east Belfast knowing a win will bring them level on points with the Inver Reds going into the final game of the season.

If Declan Devine's side can win the Gibson Cup, it will be the first time since 2009 when the club won the Irish Premiership for the 23rd time.

The match will be streamed live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC app as well as live text commentary from the game with Devine comparing the game to 'Morgan Day' when Chris Morgan netted a late winner over Linfield in April 2005 to secure the Premiership title for the east Belfast side.

"Friday is probably the biggest game this club has been involved in since Morgan Day," Devine told BBC Sport NI.

"It is something we should look forward to and something as a club that we should embrace, but we have to make sure we keep the levels really high.

"If we can do that, I have no doubt we are a match for anyone on our day. I also know that our opponents who are sitting at the top of the table are a match for anyone on their day."

Glentoran were the 5-0 victors against Dungannon Swifts in their last match which levelled their goal difference with Larne's.

Devine added that the side just need to focus on themselves and is hopeful they can finish the season positively.

"It is very interesting, we have given ourselves a chance, but we have to make sure we recover and get better," he continued.

"That is the interesting fact of it all, 6/7 weeks ago we were playing catch up with games and our goal difference was a bit behind everyone," he continued.

"We just have to get two wins from our last two games, see where it takes us and hopefully finish the season on a real high."

Jana McCabe
BBC Sport NI journalist

Image source, Inpho

Larne manager Gary Haveron said his side have to prepare to face a "a big, strong and physical" Glentoran during Friday's potential title-decider at the Oval (19:45 BST, live on BBC iPlayer).

Victory over the Glens will secure Larne's third Premiership title in four years after triumphs in 2023 and 2024.

However, a Glentoran win would take the title race to the final game of the season.

"We are excited and it is a really hard place to go, probably one of the hardest places in the league this year," Haveron told BBC Sport NI.

"They are a big, strong and physical team and they are experienced now. We know how difficult it will be, but we have shown that we can handle the pressure of playing at the Oval (Larne won 4-1 there in January).

"It will be a big crowd. We need to be at our best and be prepared for the challenge.

The Inver Reds sit three points clear at the top of the Premiership, but Glentoran are unbeaten in their past nine league games.

The sides are also level on goal difference after Glentoran - who last won the title in 2009 - closed the gap with a 5-0 thrashing of Dungannon Swifts.

"It is a huge game, it was always going to be huge game regardless of what happened on Saturday. It was always going to be a massive task," he continued.

"We will recover, it has been a tough few weeks. There was a lot of football played and a lot of running in the legs on a big, big pitch at Windsor."

Image source, Inpho

Niall Currie has left his role as Portadown boss with immediate effect with two games of the Irish Premiership season remaining.

Currie took over as Ports boss for a second spell in October 2022 after previously managing the club between 2016 and 2018.

His last game in charge was Saturday's heavy 4-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Crusaders in which Currie criticised his side's "abysmal" performance.

Currie could not prevent the club from being relegated in the 2022-23 season, but he led the Ports back to the top flight at the first time of asking as they won the Championship title the following campaign.

They also reached the BetMcLean Cup final in 2024, but were beaten in the final by Linfield.

He then guided Portadown to an eighth place finish in their first campaign back in the Irish Premiership last season, two points off seventh and a spot in the European play-offs.

The club currently sit 10th with two games left to play, away to Ballymena United on Saturday and away to Bangor on Saturday, 25 April.

The 53-year-old has also managed Dundela, Carrick Rangers, Ards, Loughgall and Annagh United.

Watch highlights as Ballymena United draw 0-0 with Bangor at the Showgrounds in the Irish Premiership.

Igor Rutkowski missed an early penalty for the Sky Blues while Oisin Devlin was sent off for Bangor after receiving two yellow cards.

Read more: Rutkowski misses penalty as Ballymena draw with Bangor