Conor McLaughlin

Jim Magilton is well aware of how valuable a commodity momentum can be in football, and the Cliftonville boss expects confidence to be high in both camps when his side take on Ballymena United on Saturday afternoon.

Carrick Rangers’ six-match losing streak in the Sports Direct Premiership offers no crumbs of comfort for David Healy as Linfield bid to make their own return to winning ways on Saturday.

As content as he is for Ballymena United supporters to revel in his team’s winning form, boss Jim Ervin says that memories of the 2023/24 season’s difficulties will ensure that neither he nor his high-flying players get caught up in the hype.

A second-half turnaround saw Larne come from behind to overcome Cliftonville and plant themselves firmly in the early-season title mix on the eve of their return to European action.

Gary Haveron says Tiernan Lynch’s DNA is on “every element of everything” at Larne as speculation continues to swirl over the Inver Park manager’s future.

Jim Magilton backed his players to keep working hard to deliver an upturn in fortunes after shot-shy Cliftonville’s winless streak continued against 10-man Glenavon at Solitude.

It’s a familiar tale of one in, one out for Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton as the Solitude side’s injury crisis shows little signs of abating.

The only criticism Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton had of the “phenomenal” Joe Gormley’s performance against Coleraine on Tuesday night was that the two-goal striker didn’t emerge with a hat-trick.

Joe Gormley was the north Belfast derby hero as Cliftonville made it three wins on the bounce on a nerve-jangling night at Solitude.

Jim Magilton revealed that some honest dressing-room conversations helped get Cliftonville’s 2024/25 season back on track.