Linfield moved to within two points of Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine after a 2-1 comeback victory away to Larne at Inver Park. The Blues, who sit second, will now travel to face Portadown on Friday evening looking to maintain their title challenge.

Portadown, currently 11th in the table with eight points from 12 games, will host the high-flying visitors at Shamrock Park. The side's league record stands at two wins and two draws from those twelve matches, having scored ten goals but conceded twenty-one. They currently sit a significant twenty-three points behind the league leaders. The sides last met in a 1-1 draw back in September.

Late drama at Inver Park

Larne took the lead in the first half through Leroy Millar and saw Dylan Sloan hit the post. Rhys Brennan levelled the score for Linfield after the break before Ethan McGee struck a late winner. The result leaves Larne fourth after suffering back-to-back defeats, having also lost 3-2 to Coleraine last Friday.

Linfield manager David Healy praised his team's second-half performance. "I thought we were deserved winners tonight, especially based on our second-half performance," he said. Larne boss Gary Haveron was left questioning his side's response. "I don't know what happened us, we just didn't come out in the second half at all," he said.

The win came in the ninth round of Premiership fixtures and tightens the race at the top. Portadown's own recent form has been mixed, with a 2-0 home loss to Cliftonville last Saturday following a 2-1 away win against the same opponent three days earlier. Their last five games have yielded two wins, one draw, and two losses.

Friday's match at Shamrock Park offers Portadown a chance to build on their recent home performances against a direct rival at the summit. The fixture against second-placed Linfield takes place on Friday 23 October.

Further reading: Belfast News Letter

Portadown lost 2-1 at home to Linfield on Friday, a result confirmed by the club's official line-ups. Ben Kennedy's 48th-minute penalty put the Ports ahead before Rhys Brennan and Matthew Fitzpatrick scored for the visitors. Linfield defender Isaac Baird, a former Portadown youth player, said of the win, "Portadown's a very difficult place to come to...I've never actually won here." The defeat leaves Portadown 11th with eight points from 13 games, having now lost their last two matches. They next face third-placed Larne on October 30.