Premiership preview: Can Larne edge out victory against Cliftonville?

Larne's stadium, Inver Park, has a grass surface. Cliftonville have artifical turf on their own stadium. This might or might not make a difference, and to help evaluate that we give you the recent performance numbers for Cliftonville when playing on grass; 16 wins, 13 draws and 14 losses from 43 matches. They have scored 53 goals in these games and conceded 43.

Cliftonville could be less fresh than the hosts in this fixture, as they played a Premiership game only four sleeps ago.

Larne form and stats

When playing at home in the Premiership, Larne have managed 5 wins, 4 draws and suffered 2 defeats from 11 games. We have seen two home losses in a row now for Larne, who are hoping that the phrase “third time lucky” applies to them.

Larne's previous game was also a home match, the defeat 0-1 versus Dungannon Swifts (placed 10th).

Before that match, a win away at Glentoran.

The hosts are favourites to win this game, with an estimated chance of about 55-60% of that outcome. Earlier Larne matches with similar probabilities have ended with three wins, zero draws and zero defeats (from three games).

The manager Lynch will start preparations for the next game as soon this is finished, as the hosts are going to Warrenpoint Town in only four days.

Larne have proved capable of finding the net in their games here at Inver Park with 17 goals in 11 league matches. From these home matches, Larne have conceded only 9 goals.

Cliftonville form and stats

3 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses. That’s the product of Cliftonville playing as the away team in the Premiership this season.

This game can not go any worse than the last one, a Premiership home defeat versus Glentoran with 1-2 on the scoreboard.

A loss against Crusaders was the result prior to that, in a home game.

Looking at the earlier recent performances of Cliftonville when being an outsider away as they are today, we find two matches with the visitors losing zero times, drawing one and winning one game.

A quick return to home after this game, as Cliftonville are hosting Linfield in the Premiership only four days away.

Cliftonville are scoring more than one goal per away game on average, having accumulated 13 away goals from 10 games (in the league). They concede less than a goal on average per away game (9 so far).

Head 2 Head

The previous head to head match ended Larne - Cliftonville 1-1, played this season. Head to head numbers (for the last ten meetings): Larne won three games, three matches ended in a draw and Cliftonville have four wins. Over 2,5 goals / under 2,5 goals: four / six

Top Goalscorers

D. McDaid 9 goals

R. Curran 8 goals

J. Gormley 8 goals

Larne missing players

Cliftonville missing players