Irish League Football

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Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins hailed his side's "excellent" second-half performance as they scored five goals after the break in a 5-1 comeback win over Crusaders.

Fraser Bryden gave the Crues a half-time lead at the Showgrounds before the hosts hit back in style.

Joel Cooper bagged a hat-trick while Mark Connolly and Matthew Shevlin were also on target for the Bannsiders.

"I'm obviously delighted with the outcome - I felt in the first half we didn't play at the speed we wanted to play at, albeit we created a number of chances," said Higgins.

"We just weren't ourselves but in the second half we were much, much better. We were much quicker and scored some brilliant goals."

The teams were meeting again just eight days after Coleraine beat the Crues 4-0 in the Irish Cup.

"It can be difficult when you play a team back-to-back - they changed their system today which we weren't expecting.

"We had to adapt and in the opening stages and we weren't good enough and it cost us.

"We got better as the first half progressed and from half-time we were excellent."

The win moves Coleraine to within eight points of pacesetters Larne having played a game more.

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Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton says his side were "sloppy" during their 4-1 loss against Carrick Rangers at Solitude.

Brian Healy's early goal broke the deadlock, but two goals from Danny Gibson and Paul Heatley's strike gave Carrick the lead at the break.

After the restart, Gibson completed his hat-trick and took his tally for the season up to eight.

"It was a bright start. We played on the front foot, passed the ball really well and scored a great goal and that was about the highlight," Magilton told BBC Sport NI.

"After that, we got bullied physically. We stopped doing the things we were doing really, really well.

"We sat off, played too deep, didn't get high enough up the pitch and got sloppy. The goals obviously changed the game and the outlook, but they were better than us today."

The sides will meet once again on Tuesday night in the County Antrim Shield final with the Cliftonville boss adding that he needs a response from his side in the showpiece.

"We need to play miles better, there's no getting away from that. Everyone wants to praise you when you're flying, but this was a really bad day in terms of how we finished the game," he continued.

"We've lost Eric [McWoods] as well and I don't know how long he'll be out, but it looks like it's long-term.

"You have to lick your wounds. We've experienced players in the dressing room, and we need a lift, absolutely no doubt about that. It's a final, a one-off game, and we have to approach it exactly like that."

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Glentoran assistant manager Tim McCann says the side's 2-1 victory over Glenavon at Mourneview Park "was a really tough game".

After a quite start to the match, Niall Quinn's own goal gave Glentoran the lead before Cammy Palmer doubled their advantage.

Paul McGovern did pull one back for the home side in the final 20 minutes, but they couldn't find another goal before the full-time whistle.

The Lurgan Blues had won the previous meeting between the sides 3-1 at Mourneview Park earlier in the season.

"Really, really tough game," McCann told BBC Sport NI.

"We lost the last time we were up here and we had to make amends and these are the games that you have to win. You have to grind out results.

"Were we at our best today? By no stretch of the imagination we were, but we got the three points and that is all that matters."

The Glens now return to winning ways after a disappointing 4-1 loss midweek against Larne put to an end their four-game unbeaten run.

Results elsewhere mean that the Lurgan Blues are now 11 points adrift at the bottom of the Irish Premiership with manager Michael O'Connor frustrated with the manner of the goals that his side are conceding.

"The two goals we conceded were soft," said O'Connor.

"The first 20/25 minutes before they scored, I think we were the better team without creating loads of chances. Then we are hit with a sucker punch.

"We huffed and puffed at the end, without creating any chances. We are in games, but we are not clinical enough in front of goal and are conceding too many."

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Linfield manager David Healy says it was "frustrating we haven't won" as his side had to settle for a scoreless draw at home to league leaders Larne on Friday.

The result saw Larne increase their lead at the top to 11 points with Linfield 16 behind, albeit with a game in hand, and Healy felt his side could have found a winner late on.

Euan East was forced off in the first half with an injury as Darragh Leahy came on for his debut and while Healy took come positives from the game, he was nonetheless disappointed his side could claim the three points.

"We've done enough to win, especially late on, but realistically, Larne are the in-form team in the league and we're all chasing them," the Linfield manager told BBC Sport NI.

"The two injuries we received early certainly didn't help us, but the subs came on with Darragh on for his debut [were a positive]. I was wary of starting Dara tonight having not played since late October.

"I was pleased with the effort, pleased with the performance, but frustrated and disappointed we haven't won the game."

It was the second scoreless draw in the league for Linfield as they were held at Carrick Rangers on Tuesday, but Healy felt the performance against Larne was an improvement.

"Down to 10 men against Carrick the other night, you're still hoping you can create the golden chance to get the goal but we didn't," he continued.

"There have been other times lately where I felt the level of performance just hasn't been where it should be and the players understand that.

"We have no divine right right to win league titles year-on-year. You have to work year-on-year to achieve that and I've always said the hardest thing to maintain is success."

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Linfield have confirmed that winger Callumn Morrison has left the club to join Dunfermline Athletic FC for an undisclosed fee.

The 26-year-old made 26 appearances in the Irish Premiership for David Healy's side and scored four goals.

Morrison has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Scottish Championship outfit Dunfermline, who are managed by former Northern Ireland international Neil Lennon.

The winger had joined the Blues from Falkirk last February on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

"We would like to place on record our thanks to Callumn for his contribution during his time at Windsor Park," the defending Irish Premiership champions said after the announcement.

"Everyone at the club wishes him every success in his future career."

This news follows the announcement that David Healy's side had signed defender Darragh Leahy on an 18-month contract from Waterford FC.

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Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins believes league leaders Larne "have one hand on the trophy" but there’s still "plenty of football to be played".

The Bannsiders are second in the table, 10 points behind Larne having played a game more.

Speaking before their Irish Premiership game against Crusaders, Higgins hopes his side can keep pace with the Invermen and capitalise on any of their slip-ups.

"Larne are in an absolutely brilliant position, fair play to them. Their points tally is through the roof, so credit to them, but, there's still a lot of football to be played," he said.

"You have to say they have one hand on the trophy but, also, football's a funny old game. We just need to focus on ourselves.

"We can't control what others do but what I would like is that we can put ourselves in a position that if they so slip at any point that we take advantage of it.

"We've still a lot to salvage, we still have a lot to play for this season and we just need to keep focused on winning matches and try and put ourselves in a position where we at least make them earn it."

Coleraine host Crusaders a week on from their 4-0 victory over Declan Caddell’s side in the Irish Cup fifth round and Higgins expects a different challenge from the Crues at the Showgrounds.

"This is going to be a completely different kettle of fish and there will no complacency from us," Higgins added.

"We'll give them the utmost respect as they deserve and we'll do everything to try and win the game."

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Crusaders have announced that club captain Jarlath O'Rourke has been placed on the transfer list with immediate effect.

O'Rourke has made 246 appearances for the north Belfast side after arriving from Dungannon Swifts in 2019 and has won two Irish Cups during his time with the club.

In a statement released on Thursday, Crusaders confirmed the 30-year-old is available for transfer after failing to sign a new deal at Seaview.

"The club had offered Jarlath a new and improved contract, which also included the award of a testimonial season in recognition of his significant service to Crusaders FC," the statement said.

"Despite multiple attempts by the club to reach an agreement and secure his long-term future, the player has declined to commit by refusing to sign the proposed deal.

"As a result, the club has taken the decision to place Jarlath O'Rourke on the transfer list with immediate effect."

Elsewhere, Clifonville have announced the signing of defender Aidan Kelly.

The 22-year-old returns to the club after a spell in America at the University of Masachussetts Amherst.

He becomes Cliftonville’s fourth January arrival.

Ballymena have added English goalkeeper Brad Wade on a deal until the end of the season while Bangor have signed Welsh defender Iestyn Hughes.

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Larne captain Tomas Cosgrove says the Inver Reds "took their foot off the gas" against Glentoran, despite winning 4-1 at the Oval.

The deadlock was broken during an action-packed match after just seven minutes when former Glens midfielder Paul O'Neill converted a penalty before Daniel Larmour levelled the game.

Ryan Cooney was then dismissed for a clumsy challenge on Sean Graham with Larne taking advantage of the extra man and Cricky Gallagher, O'Neill and Cosgrove all netting.

"Good result, probably not the best performance," Cosgrove told BBC Sport NI.

"I think Glentoran held their own. They were on top of us for large parts of the game.

"We went in front and took our foot off the gas, sat back and let them come into the game when we should have went for them. Maybe the red card changed the game."

Larne had made a bright start to the game and were denied by the crossbar in the opening two minutes before opening the scoring shortly after.

However, they struggled to build on that momentum, with the home side able to find a leveller.

After Cooney's dismissal, the Inver Reds were clinical and ran out the comfortable victors in the end.

"It was brilliant [timing to score the second goal] as we weren't playing well at all. I don't know what it was and we can't blame anything," he continued.

"Cricky scores that goal. I am actually screaming for the ball out wide, I was raging that he took a shot and then it snuck into the bottom corner, and I thought 'good decision Cricky!'"

"It was brilliant to go in 2-1 in front and it gives you a bit more confidence going into the second half."

Gary Haveron's side now sit 10 points clear at the top of the Irish Premiership and have played one game less than Coleraine in second.

They now face defending champions Linfield, who have won just one of their last five league games.

"It is obviously great," Cosgrove replied when asked about having a comfortable advantage at the top of the table.

"I'm going to give the boring answer, it is one game at a time. I have seen a lot of strange things happen in football.

"There is no bigger game in the league than Linfield, the champions, so we have to go and put on a good performance and hopefully get the three points."