Irish Premiership Boxing Day derbies provided plenty of excitement and controversy, with refereeing decisions dominating the headlines.
The traditional Boxing Day derby duels are always a highlight of the Irish Premiership season and while this year's 26 December games perhaps failed to yielded the goal-fests of Christmas encounters of past years, the six matches delivered plenty of talking points.
Refereeing decisions played a central part in Thursday's matches as Shane Andrews' decision not to send off Linfield goalkeeper David Walsh for bringing down Jordan Jenkins outside his area in the second half was met with incredulity by Glentoran manager Declan Devine and surprise by most neutral observers. The Blues had stopper Chris Johns in reserve on the bench but the prospect of playing the final half hour of the game with only 10 men in the cauldron of a Boxing Day showdown could have been a challenging one for the visitors. Subsequently Linfield defender Sam Roscoe was dismissed for a second yellow 10 minutes later and home captain Marcus Kane also saw red for two bookable offences. Devine's side had the better of the game but were unable to take the chances which would have earned them a fourth consecutive win over their derby rivals this season, with Jenkins particularly culpable in front of goal. Linfield ground out a precious point as back-to-back champions Larne had three 'goals' disallowed when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Carrick Rangers, thereby failing to make up ground on the clubs above them. Larne head coach Gary Haveron expressed disappointment post-match that Cian Bolger's header, Matt Lusty's effort and Andy Ryan's shot were all chalked off by referee Ian McNabb. Larne sit ninth in the table, 22 points behind leaders Linfield, but with six games in hand over Healy's charges ahead of the big meeting between the sides at Windsor Park on Monday. A win for the pacesetters in that encounter would put them in a massively strong position to regain the Gibson Cu
Irish Premiership Boxing Day Derbies Refereeing Linfield Larne
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hearts and Hibs Clash in Boxing Day Scottish Premiership ShowdownBoxing Day in the Scottish Premiership sees a mouth-watering Edinburgh derby as Hearts and Hibernian go head-to-head. Both teams have shown signs of improvement recently, with Hibernian particularly on form. The match could be crucial for both sides' hopes of securing a top-six finish.
Read more »
Irish League scores LIVE: All the action from Boxing Day's gamesThere are games across the NIFL Premiership and Championship on Thursday afternoon
Read more »
McDonald's Opening Hours on Christmas Day and Boxing DayFind out if your local McDonald's is open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, as well as information about their opening hours over the holiday period.
Read more »
Royal Boxing Day Tradition: A Day of Shooting at SandringhamEvery Boxing Day, senior members of the British Royal Family engage in a long-standing tradition of shooting on the Sandringham estate. The day begins with a hearty breakfast for the men, followed by a hunt for pheasants and grouse across the 20,000-acre property.
Read more »
Christmas Day weather forecast for Manchester according to Met Office and moreWhat the forecasters say for the weather on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Read more »
Irish Premiership - Build-up to Saturday's five matchesLive radio, text commentary and in-play clip coverage of Saturday's games including leaders Linfield taking on in-form Portadown.
Read more »