Larne host Portadown at Inver Park on Friday night aiming to get back to winning ways in the Premiership. The match kicks off at 19:45 on Matchday 14, with the home side strong favourites against a team with a poor away record.
Larne sit third in the table with 23 points from 11 games, a position built on seven wins, two draws and two defeats. Their form has been mixed lately, with a 1-1 draw against Limavady United last time out following a win over Bangor and losses to Linfield and Coleraine. They have scored 21 goals this season, the second-highest tally in the division, while conceding only 10, giving them a goal difference of plus 11. Their recent form over the last five games shows two wins, one draw and two losses. The sequence of results, most recent first, was a draw, a win, two losses and a win. The 1-1 draw with Limavady United on Tuesday 27 October saw Donnelly score an 81st-minute equaliser, assisted by C. McKendry, after R. Wilson had put the visitors ahead. Prior to that, they secured a 2-1 victory at Bangor on Saturday 24 October with goals from P. O'Neill and R. Doherty.
Portadown arrive in 11th place, having taken just eight points from 13 matches. They have lost five of their six away games this season, scoring only a handful of goals on the road. Their last outing was a 1-2 defeat to Linfield.
Recent meetings and team news
The sides last met in September, with Larne running out 2-0 winners at Shamrock Park on Saturday 12 September. Donnelly, who scored the late equaliser against Limavady, is likely to feature again after starting the last home league game. The team that beat Bangor 2-1 featured R. Ferguson in goal behind a back line of T. Cosgrove, D. Bent, M. Ridley and A. Donnelly.
Portadown’s most recent starting eleven included J. Barry in goal and a midfield anchored by M. Hewitt and E. Fyfe. They will need to improve drastically on their travels to get anything from this fixture.
Larne’s immediate focus is on closing the gap to the top. They are currently 11 points behind leaders Coleraine, so every home game is vital. Their next match after this is a trip to face Glentoran on November 6th. Before that, they face Portadown at home on Friday 30 October, looking to improve on a recent run that also included a 1-2 home loss to Linfield on Tuesday 20 October and a 2-3 home defeat to Coleraine FC on Friday 16 October.
The match at Inver Park promises a contrast in fortunes. Larne will expect to dominate possession and create chances, while Portadown will look to be compact and hit on the break. Kick-off is at 19:45 on Friday, October 30.
