'sockgate', Face-offs And Gibson Goals - Irish Premiership Takeaways

The 2nd group of fixtures of nan caller Irish Premiership play whitethorn person seen only 4 matches played alternatively than nan regular six, but Saturday's action still managed to propulsion up its adjacent stock of talking points.

Carrick Rangers and Glentoran established themselves arsenic nan pacesetters astatine this very early shape of nan 2025-26 run arsenic both clubs made it six points from six by securing location wins complete Glenavon and Bangor respectively.

Elsewhere, Cliftonville and Coleraine played retired a goalless tie astatine Solitude, while Portadown defeated nine-man Dungannon Swifts astatine Stangmore Park for their first triumph of nan caller term.

BBC Sport NI looks astatine immoderate of nan main takeaways from nan weekend's quadruple-header.

Ultimately, immoderate of nan talking points astir nan eagerly anticipated 'match of nan day' betwixt Cliftonville and Coleraine surrounded events earlier nan crippled and during nan half-time interval of Saturday's heavyweight brushwood successful northbound Belfast.

In nan run-up to kick-off it emerged that Coleraine had neglected to bring their lucifer socks to Solitude, pinch a typical of nan Bannsiders having to beryllium hastily dispatched to a section sports retailer to get nan basal footwear, successful acheronian bluish to debar immoderate imaginable conflict of colours pinch their hosts.

Then, aft a first half which saw some sides hardly capable to onshore a mitt connected their opponents, supporters were treated to a half-time face-off successful nan centre circle arsenic boxers Matty Boreland and Ruadhan Farrell squared up.

Boreland, a Coleraine supporter, and Cliftonville instrumentality Farrell, will meet connected nan undercard of nan Lewis Crocker-Paddy Donovan rematch astatine Windsor Park connected 13 September.

On nan pitch, Magilton's men and Higgins' charges slugged it retired aft immoderate early sparring, but neither was capable to find a knockout rustle and had to settee for a stock of nan points.

Despite nan array of attacking talent connected display, including Joel Cooper, Matthew Shevlin and Joe Gormley, defences were mostly connected apical and goalmouth action mostly astatine a premium.

Ryan Curran came adjacent to scoring for nan location broadside while substitute Gormley believed nan situation which helped forestall him scoring successful nan dying moments was metaphorically 'below nan belt' and should person been punished pinch a penalty.

Cliftonville still pursuit their first triumph of nan season, while Coleraine fans clasp precocious hopes that their club's finance will proceed to let them to 'punch supra their weight' successful comparison pinch erstwhile years and adhd to their solitary erstwhile Irish League title occurrence successful 1974.

The title for nan Gibson Cup whitethorn beryllium very overmuch successful its infancy but nan sanction of nan trophy which is awarded annually to nan Irish League champions was good to nan fore connected Saturday.

Danny Gibson's first-half extremity astatine Taylors Avenue proved capable to condemn Glenavon to a 2nd consecutive convention defeat, nan erstwhile Glentoran striker making it 3 goals successful 2 games aft contributing a double successful nan stunning opening time comeback occurrence against Crusaders.

The Carrick frontman applied nan finishing touch to Paul Heatley's transportation and has now racked up 40 goals successful 90 appearances for nan side.

The triumph secured head Stephen Baxter's first back-to-back convention wins successful complaint of nan eastbound Antrim nine connected a playing aboveground which he described to listeners of Radio Ulster's Sportsound arsenic "lively and bumpy".

"I'm very pleased to get disconnected to nan commencement we person but it's very early days. We person a caller squad and it takes clip to get them playing nan measurement we want them to," said Baxter, whose squad only retained their Premiership position via nan end-of-season play-off successful May.

When asked if he was concerned that his side's early momentum whitethorn suffer from nan postponement of Tuesday's scheduled convention gathering pinch Linfield, nan erstwhile Crusaders head explained that he was happy pinch nan fixture being delayed arsenic his players "needed a rest".

Glenavon, meanwhile, recreation to Glentoran successful midweek still searching for their first constituent of nan caller campaign.

Dungannon's disappointing commencement to nan run continued arsenic they went down to a broad 4-1 conclusion by Portadown.

The Shamrock Reds took important early steps towards clinching their first points of nan caller play by moving 2-0 up and, contempt Sean McAllister pulling 1 backmost from nan punishment spot, precocious second-half goals from caller signing Jordan Gibson ensured nan triumph for Niall Currie's side.

The Swifts' origin was not helped by nan dismissal of skipper Gael Bigirimana for a precocious situation connected Eamon Fyfe precocious successful nan first half followed by substitute Leo Alves receiving a reddish paper for 2 bookable offences successful speedy succession.

Two losses and 7 goals conceded, pinch conscionable 1 goal, a spot-kick, scored, does not correspond nan commencement head Rodney McAree will person been looking for arsenic he sets retired to build connected nan Irish Cup success, fourth-place convention decorativeness and European qualification that his squad achieved past season.

Successive 1-0 triumphs successful their opening 2 matches of nan play is hardly capable to spot Glentoran labelled pinch nan terrace chant associated pinch nan businesslike Arsenal broadside who picked up nan knack of winning games by nan single-goal scoreline successful nan 1990s.

However, everyone associated pinch nan Oval outfit will return those opening 1-0 wins complete Portadown and Bangor very nicely arsenic a imaginable springboard towards building a Premiership title challenge.

Having won conscionable 9 of their erstwhile 24 location convention games anterior to beating nan Seasiders, head Declan Devine will dream that Saturday's triumph astatine nan Oval, courtesy of a extremity from caller acquisition Ryan Cooney, will besides supply a level for improved results connected their location spot successful nan apical tier this term.

After nan match, Devine told Sportsound listeners that he was "pleased pinch a batch of nan shot his broadside played" and "there were a batch of bully individual performances".

The Glens leader pronounced himself peculiarly happy pinch nan displays of 2 of his different summertime signings - Jordan Stewart and substitute Liam Burt - who made a affirmative effect disconnected nan chair aft overcoming a semipermanent hep injury.

For Bangor's part, they defended resolutely for overmuch of nan game, but Kyle Owens' correction erstwhile misplacing an attempted back-pass proved decisive and provided a stark reminder for nan Seasiders, if 1 were required, of really mistakes are ruthlessly punished successful nan apical division, pursuing their curtain-raising 3-1 triumph complete Cliftonville past weekend.