Irish League Football

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Larne boss Gary Haveron is the Northern Ireland Football Writers' Association manager of the month for March.

Haveron guided Larne to four victories in their four games in March that included an Irish Cup penalty shootout win over Glentoran in the quarter-finals as well as league victories over Dungannon Swifts, Glenavon and Cliftonville.

Larne scored eight goals in March and conceded just two as they maintained their advantage at the top of the Irish Premiership table that has since been cut to three points following Tuesday's 4-1 defeat against Coleraine.

It is the third time Haveron has won the monthly award this season, after claiming the prize in September when he initially stood in after Nathan Rooney's departure from the club and in November when Larne enjoyed a 100% winning record in the Irish Premiership that month.

"It's always an honour to win this award, it would not be possible without the help of our backroom staff and the players, who have worked so hard this season," Haveron said.

"Unfortunately, we've not carried our March form into April with the two defeats against Coleraine [in the Irish Cup and in the league].

"But that's football. There's still plenty to play for with three massive league games between now and the end of the season, starting with Linfield on Saturday.

"We're three points clear and we have to take advantage of that. We know we're capable of beating any team in the league.

"We know how strong Linfield are, and they will be tough to beat at Windsor. We just need to be the best version of ourselves, and if we get an honest performance from the lads and they leave it all out there on the pitch, regardless of the result, I'll be proud of them."

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The Northern Ireland Football League [NIFL] have confirmed that the postponed Irish Premiership match between Ballymena United and Bangor will now be played on Tuesday, 14 April at the Ballymena Showgrounds [19:45 BST].

The fixture was due to be played on Saturday, 7 April but the pitch failed an inspection.

The match was the sixth at the Showgrounds to be postponed due to an unplayable pitch this year.

Ballymena sit 10th in the Premiership with the Seasiders ninth and two points ahead of the Sky Blues.

On Saturday, Bangor host Glenavon and Ballymena travel to play Carrick Rangers.

Elsewhere, Linfield welcome Larne, Coleraine meet Cliftonville, Crusaders face Portadown and Glentoran play Dungannon Swifts.

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Glentoran assistant manager Tim McCann said the side's 2-1 victory over Cliftonville has given them "a bit of a chance" in the Irish Premiership title race.

Goals from Jordan Stewart and Pat Hoban secured the crucial three points for the east Belfast side.

The result, paired with Coleraine's thrashing of league leaders Larne, means that the Glens are now just three points off the top of the Irish Premiership.

"You can't depend on other teams, we have to look after our own back yard," McCann told BBC Sport NI.

"We have spoken about it all week that we can't control what happens elsewhere but let's look after our own destiny and let's make teams work for it and do what we do. Whatever happens elsewhere, happens elsewhere.

"We have given ourselves a bit of a chance, we have to go at it again and it will be a very difficult game against a very good Dungannon side."

The Glens are now unbeaten in their past eight league games and were the 2-0 victors last time they travelled to Stangmore Park to face the Swifts.

Despite the important win, McCann also acknowledged that the side "weren't at our best" at Solitude.

"It is buoyant in the changing rooms," he continued.

"We probably felt that we left a bit out there, we weren't at our best and we probably didn't get the ball down as much as we should.

"At this stage of the season, every manager and team will tell you, it doesn't always work. It wasn't for the lack of trying. Sometimes when you try certain things, it doesn't work out.

"But we got our two goals, we got the three points and we'll move on and see what happens from here."

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Larne manager Gary Haveron says the first-half dismissal of Dan Bent was the key moment as the Premiership leaders fell to a 4-1 home defeat by Coleraine.

Matthew Shevlin gave the Bannsiders an early lead before Bent was red-carded by referee Jamie Robinson on 35 minutes following a challenge on the Coleraine striker.

Andy Ryan levelled with a penalty for Larne, who were beaten by the Bannsiders in Saturday's Irish Cup semi-final, before second-half goals from Ben Wylie, Will Patching and Shevlin secured a comfortable win for the visitors.

Glentoran's 2-1 win at Cliftonville saw them narrow the gap to Larne to three points with three games left.

"We obviously didn't start the game well, going 1-0 down after 90 seconds," said Haveron.

"After that it was a quite an evenly matched game but the sending off absolutely kills you because you're down to 10 men against a really top side, when you've just played 120 minutes on Saturday.

"I need to see it back again but there is no real clear footage of it. Their bench was screaming and yelling at Jamie Robinson and he makes the decision.

"We battled hard to get it back to 1-1 and great credit to the boys, they showed heart and desire.

"I just felt we ran out of steam and they over-ran us at the end. Big decisions change the outcome of games and we've been on the wrong side of that tonight."

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Larne manager Gary Haveron says he believes his side should have made the most of the momentum being in their favour and gone on to win the game after scoring an equaliser in their 2-1 extra-time defeat by Coleraine in Saturday's Irish Cup semi-final.

Joel Cooper netted in the first half to put the Bannsiders in front at Windsor Park, before Matty Lusty restored parity with a second-half strike.

Substitute Matthew Shevlin popped up with what turned out to be the decisive goal in the second period of extra time to book his side's berth in the 2 May decider against Dungannon Swifts.

"When we got the equaliser I feel we should have kicked on and won the game because I believe the game was there to be won, but we never really put them under enough pressure, and constant pressure," Haveron told BBC Sport NI after the game.

"They were strong in extra time, they pushed on and their subs made a really strong impact for them.

"There wasn't much in the game, Rohan [Ferguson] barely had a save to make bar the one near the end from Shevlin, whereas their keeper made some fantastic saves."

The Larne boss added that it was a close contest and he was disappointed his side did not come out on top.

"Obviously disappointed, nobody wants to go out at a semi-final stage, and especially not in extra time in the way we did.

"Disappointed with both goals we conceded today.

"It was always going to be very small margins between two top teams in the league."

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Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins says reaching May's Irish Cup final against Dungannon Swifts is "a special feeling" and just reward for everyone involved with the club.

The Bannsiders progressed to the decider against holders Dungannon Swifts by defeating Premiership leaders Larne 2-1 after extra time at Windsor Park on Saturday.

Joel Cooper fired Coleraine into a first-half lead, Matty Lusty levelled in the second half, but substitute Matthew Shevlin scored the winner in the second period of extra time.

"It's a special feeling and I'm so pleased for everyone connected with the club. So proud and delighted that we have our place in the final," Higgins told BBC Sport NI.

"It's a brilliant achievement as it's our first year together as a collective and we have something tangible to look forward to and something to be really excited about.

"Our players, our staff, everyone connected with the club, deserves it."

Higgins praised Mark Coyle's delivery, which provided the ammunition for the matchwinner's predatory close-range finish.

"Mark delivered an absolutely beautiful ball, an outstanding cross, and Matthew Shevlin, what he does is put himself in brilliant goalscoring positions.

"He has done that for a countless number of years and I'm really ecstatic for everyone that we managed to get over the line.

"Matthew could have put us in front in the first half of extra time but in the end 'Shevty' does what he does and gets on the end of it."

The Coleraine boss expects a tough test against the Swifts in the final but knows his side must focus on the remaining matches of the league season first, starting with another meeting with Larne on Tuesday night.

"We have four big league games to navigate now and then we can look forward to the cup final at that point.

"We'll be coming up against a team that knows how to win this thing. I've the utmost respect for everyone at Dungannon but on the day it will be up to us to try and lift a huge piece of silverware for our people."

Watch highlights as Peter Campbell scores a late free-kick to rescue a 1-1 draw for Glenavon against Portadown in the Irish Premiership at Mourneview Park.

Campbell was then sent off in injury-time after receiving two yellow cards.

You can read the report from today's game here

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