Linfield win title after Glentoran draw with Larne
Linfield are the new Premiership champions after nearest challengers Glentoran drew 2-2 with Larne at the Oval.
Only a Glens win would keep the title race alive but the Blues now have an unassailable 19-point lead with both sides to play six more games.
It's a record-extending 57th Gibson Cup success for the Windsor Park club and their first since 2022.
Glentoran let slip a 2-0 lead after a Joe Thomspon double put them control with Paul O'Neill pulling one back before Andy Ryan levelled from a penalty.
It was also 2-2 between Coleraine and Cliftonville at the Showgrounds with all the goals coming in the second half.
Ryan Curran gave the Reds a 66th-minute lead but Matthew Shevlin equalised from the spot before putting the Bannsiders 2-1 in front.
Curran converted a penalty three minutes from time to earn the north Belfast visitors a point.
Thomson opened the scoring against his former club in the 11th minute, seizing on a weak clearance to half-volley through a crowded box with Rohan Ferguson unable to keep it out as the ball trickled across the line.
Declan Devine's charges tightened their grip minutes after the restart.
Dylan Connolly's deflected cross looped towards the edge of the area, where Thomson scuffed an effort that crept into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
But the visitors roared back just before the hour mark. Graham's fierce drive stung the palms of Daniel Gyollai, and when Ryan's follow-up broke kindly for O'Neill, the striker stabbed home from close range to set up a tense final half-hour.
The turnaround was complete in the 67th minute. Aaron Wightman clattered into Graham inside the box, leaving the referee with little choice.
Up stepped Ryan, who sent Gyollai the wrong way from 12 yards to draw the away side level.
The east Belfast side should have been out of sight by then, with Thomson spurning a golden first-half chance.
Meanwhile, the visitors thought they had equalised on the stroke of half-time, only for O'Neill's cool finish from a Tomas Cosgrove cross to be ruled offside.
Curran's deflected effort fired the visitors in front shortly after the hour before Shevlin replied from the penalty spot after he had been dragged to the ground by Luke Conlan.
Shevlin added his second – and his 20th of the season – 10 minutes from the end with a vollyed finish but Curran ensured parity, scoring a late penalty after Joey Gormley was fouled by Rory Brown.
In contrast to a dramatic second period, neither goalkeeper had a save to make in an evenly contested first half.
The deadlock was finally broken Curran ended a sweeping move - started by Axel Piesold - by sweeping a deflected shot past a helpless Brown in the Coleraine goal.
Five minutes later the sides were level as Shevlin bagged his 19th goal of the campaign as he beat Ridd with a low penalty into the corner.
Shevlin netted his second of the match nine minutes from time, in the right place at the right time to net from close range after Ridd saved Levi Ives' low drive.
But back came Cliftonville to level with a penalty of their own in the 87th minute as Curran sent Brown the wrong way from the spot.
Both teams had chances to win the game in the dying moments but it ended all-square on a dramatic night.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Finn Russell hoping for strong showing from Bath fans at Premiership final
Scotland fly-half Finn Russell is looking forward to running out at the Allianz Stadium to the roar of Bath's sell-out support rather than with the jeers of England fans ringing in his ears. The British and Irish Lions number 10 kicked 14 points to help Bath beat rivals Bristol and secure a return to the Gallagher Premiership final. Advertisement Russell, who has recovered from cramp which forced him off during the closing stages at The Recreation Ground, hopes to feel plenty of positive vibes from the Twickenham stands on Saturday – in stark to his previous visits when in Scotland blue. Finn Russell was part of the Scotland side edged out 16-15 by England in their Guinness Six Nations match at the Allianz Stadium in February (Adam Davy/PA) 'From what I have heard, a lot of Bath fans bought tickets a while back to make sure they had them, as they did last year,' Russell said. 'A lot of them will be getting the train over to Twickenham at the weekend and it is always good playing in front of a sold-out stadium. 'Having your home fans there, hopefully the majority of tickets are Bath fans, that will be special.' Advertisement Scotland vice-captain Russell added: 'I know the other side of playing at Twickenham – usually when I am there, it is 70-odd thousand fans against me. 'But it is always special playing in that stadium and hopefully our fans can make as much noise as possible.' Russell, 32, remains determined to see Bath put last season's defeat by Northampton behind them and land a first title since 1996. 'I think that motivation has been there for everyone,' said Russell, who has been called up for his third successive Lions tour this summer. 'After getting that final and losing it last year, it is always quite tough to come back in that next year. Advertisement 'But I think everyone came back in pre-season in good shape and kind of ripped in straight away. 'At the start of the year, the goal was to win the Premiership. We have gotten ourselves in a good spot just now to hopefully go and do that. 'We have almost got back to where we wanted to be and hopefully can go one step further this year.' Bath finished 11 points clear of Leicester at the top of the Premiership table, having won 14 games. Johann van Graan's side have already lifted the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup this season as they look to close out the campaign with yet more silverware. Johann van Graan's side have already tasted domestic and European success this season (Andrew Matthews/PA) 'The playing group have been fantastic and it is great that everybody wants to play in the final, but ultimately, we can only select 23 players,' said Bath head of rugby van Graan. Advertisement 'In our training again today, it doesn't matter what team you were in, everybody was in (to the session). 'Yes, some individuals will be disappointed, but that's natural. 'We see that as a positive, because everybody wants to play for this team and pulls in the same direction because they want to achieve something together.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bath's second-half revival carries them past Bristol and into Premiership final
Bath's oval-ball custodians have spent years trying – and failing – to construct a team to match the striking nature of their home city. Now, finally, they are within 80 minutes of claiming their first domestic league title since 1995-96 after a storming second-half revival put paid to a gallant Bristol side who had led by seven points at half-time. If the outcome was still theoretically up in the air at the interval there was not a shred of doubt by the hour mark, Bath launching a blistering fusillade that yielded four converted tries without reply and underlined their status as short-priced favourites to lift the Premiership trophy at Twickenham next Saturday. 'This team is tough to beat,' said their head coach, Johann van Graan. 'Bristol asked some questions but effort-wise I couldn't be prouder. That is what it takes to get to Twickenham.' Advertisement Related: Bath 34-20 Bristol: Premiership rugby union semi-final – as it happened The final margin was slightly harsh on a Bears team who played a full part in a stonking contest that, once again, ticked pretty much every box from an entertainment perspective. Bristol were thrilling to watch in the first half but never quite managed to build the kind of scoreboard pressure that might have caused a famous upset, eventually disappearing beneath a quartet of third-quarter tries from Ted Hill, Joe Cokanasiga, Will Muir and Max Ojomoh, all converted by a nerveless Finn Russell. The British & Irish Lion did limp off towards the end but Bath's management insisted he was primarily suffering from cramp. Van Graan, though, was more direct regarding some of the pre-match remarks made by Bristol's director of rugby, Pat Lam, who referenced Bath's more expensively assembled squad and advised his wife not to attend because of the probability of her being soaked if she sat out in the famously exposed – not to mention pricey – open stand at the Rec. 'Our team certainly did their talking on the pitch,' retorted Van Graan. 'We certainly got a lot of motivation from Bristol. It was brilliant all the commentary we got from the opposition. We didn't say a word and the scoreboard speaks for itself.' It was always destined to be a passion filled evening on the banks of the River Avon and a fast and furious game matched the febrile atmosphere. Bristol had won 11 of the previous 14 matches between the clubs and it was the Bears who attacked with most relish in perfect dry conditions. Fly-half AJ McGinty slotted the game's first points after Guy Pepper was slightly too enthusiastic at the breakdown and a shaken Bath found themselves 10 points down when a spectacular long-range counterattack launched by Kalaveti Ravouvou and some deft forward interplay ended with the second-row James Dun galloping over by the posts. Advertisement Dun's father, Andy, was once a Bristol stalwart and the whole crackling occasion felt deeply personal, with more than simple bragging rights at stake. It was definitely not helpful to the Bears' cause, then, when Ravouvou was shown a yellow card for trying to stop Bath taking a quick tap and cost his side a further three points in the process. Even with 14 men, though, Bristol kept on coming. Bath's defence were pulled this way and that, the point of attack constantly shifting. Only a desperate rearguard action prevented the Bears from scoring another belting multi-phase try and a botched lineout drill five metres out then allowed Bath to escape again. When Bristol do flick the turbo switch they look irresistible but games of top-level rugby are not definitively settled inside the first 40 minutes, particularly at this venue. Bath's strength in depth has frequently been their trump card this season so it was doubly worrying for the Bears when the effervescent Harry Randall was led away with a damaged shoulder and replaced by Kieran Marmion. A penalty just before the interval from MacGinty, though, extended Bristol's advantage to 13-6 and caused a slight hush to fall around the ground. Losing in the final is one thing but going down at home to Bristol in a massive semi-final? The onus was on Bath's familiar match winners to come up with the antidote to the onrushing grizzly Bears for whom Viliame Mata, Steven Luatua and Benhard Janse van Rensburg were all exerting their usual influence. Advertisement And, sure enough, in the first 19 minutes after the restart four servings of much-needed relief duly materialised. First the visitors messed up the restart, conceded a soft penalty and gave Bath the platform from which to launch a purposeful attack which ended with Hill scoring in the left corner. Russell's wide-angled conversion was a further bonus and there was even better to come, a horrible bounce eluding Ravouvou and allowing Cokanasiga to strike. Now the tide was turning and some tight refereeing calls were also going Bath's way. A pass by Noah Heward was adjudged fractionally forward and, once again, the home side were instantly energised. Muir crashed over in the left corner to extend the lead further and, within five minutes with Bristol again down to 14 players, Ojomoh inflicted further hefty damage. Even when sorely tested this stacked Bath squad, having already topped the regular season table by 11 points, tend to come up with a resounding answer.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Are you not entertained? Thrilling club finales show tribal rugby at its best
The final week of every domestic season is always an indicator of rugby's underlying health. Are supporters crawling over their grandmothers in their haste to buy a finals ticket? Is the entertainment value of the product trending upwards year on year? And are there collective signs of rising positivity among players, tournament organisers and fans alike? These are especially relevant questions right now amid all the exciting/delusional (take your pick) chatter about a possible breakaway global franchise league. And before we contemplate this year's answers let's hope those looking to flog the concept of a Formula One-style circus featuring the world's top players were watching last Friday night's game in Bath. Advertisement Related: Rugby's breakaway R360 league labelled 'delusional' by leading TV sport executive Because it could be that club rugby, too often dismissed in certain circles as tired old hat, has never enjoyed a more vibrant, upbeat few weeks out on the field. The first half between Bath and Bristol Bears was as thrillingly watchable and intense as the Premiership has ever been. The pace and ambition, the handling and defensive desire … all of it was spectacular with the atmosphere similarly super-charged. Driving home – and leaving aside the losing side's' natural disappointment – it was hard not to think 'what more could anyone want'? A brilliant spectacle, a riot of passion and colour, an outstanding advert for the sport. Along with the French Open tennis men's final it refreshed parts not all sports are able to reach. And then the following day, albeit in a contrasting way, there was more to relish. Rugby is not solely about fleet-footed wingers pulling rabbits from a hat but Adam Radwan's airborne second try was absolutely out of the top drawer. These were club fixtures masquerading as something else, as the Tigers' head coach Michael Cheika duly confirmed on Monday. 'As competitions get towards the end of the season the big games look like Test matches. The physicality, the speed … if you look at the data they start to look similar. Test matches are a unique entity but this competition prepares players equally as well as any other. There's no doubt about that.' Advertisement Which is interesting, coming from someone who has coached all over the world. Above all, though, the outcome seriously mattered. The best sport is not about artifice or glossy marketing: it is wincingly authentic and, ideally, tribal. Bath have not won a domestic league title for 29 years and now stand 80 minutes away from breaking that drought. You could absolutely feel that pent-up desire at the Rec on Friday evening. No wonder this Saturday's Twickenham final sold out weeks ago. All this on the back of Northampton's remarkable Champions Cup semi-final win over Leinster in Dublin last month, another occasion that ranked up there with the greatest away wins the competition has ever witnessed. The final in Cardiff between the Saints and Bordeaux-Bègles was another exhilarating cracker. Ambassador, you really are spoiling us. The situation in the United Rugby Championship, admittedly, is more complex, with only a strictly limited period available in which to sell the final between Leinster and the Bulls in Croke Park. The organisers will be happy if the attendance creeps up to the 50,000 mark; being able to pre-sell tickets to a final at a venue confirmed well in advance would clearly help. But overall this season the URC expects to announce another overall attendance record and in the Premiership average attendances are up 10% this year with a million new fans attracted to games. While none of this can airbrush away all the sport's wider issues around financial instability and player welfare concerns, it should not be entirely dismissed either. If rugby is appealing to newbies and simultaneously delighting its existing followers, it must be doing something right. Advertisement So the first couple of questions posed in the opening paragraph can pretty much be ticked off. The third step to heaven now involves sustaining that momentum into this weekend and learning lessons from last year. Then, as now, Bath were involved in the Premiership final and were looking good in the first-half against Northampton until Beno Obano was sent off for a marginally high tackle on Juarno Augustus. In that split second the mood of the whole occasion completely changed. A year on, the game is still trying to balance on the same precarious high wire, caught between a well-intentioned desire to make the game safer and wanting to protect its physical appeal. History may well conclude that these twin aims have long since been incompatible, with the science suggesting repeated small blows to the brain over a long period can ultimately be worse than one or two clear-cut knock outs. Perhaps the biggest passion killer on high-profile days, accordingly, is the sight of referees staring endlessly at big screens, trying to make definitive calls based on selective slowed-down replays or the opinions of a bossy television match official in a booth somewhere. Even then the truth is frequently elusive. In the recent Challenge Cup final, Sam Underhill was shown just a yellow card for his head-on-head tackle on Davit Niniashvili; subsequently the England flanker was banned for four weeks and misses this weekend's Twickenham finale. Go figure. Such maddening inconsistency continues to do rugby a disservice at precisely the moment the players are ramping things up. Imagine an oval-ball world where the skill, speed, commitment and collective enjoyment on display in Bath last Friday was the consistent takeaway. Hopefully this weekend will be similarly uplifting and restore a little more faith in the battered old game. Opt, instead, for the empty-headed, soulless R360 proposal and rugby union will reap what it sows. One to watch Leicester's return to Twickenham for the Premiership final offers a fitting stage for Ben Youngs and Dan Cole to bid farewell on their last appearances for the Tigers before their top-level retirement. With Michael Cheika, Handré Pollard and the popular Puma hooker Julián Montoya, among others, also about to depart the club, there will no shortage of emotional energy for the Tigers to feed off. Should they win on Saturday there will certainly be requests for a repeat performance from Montoya's father, who marked his first visit to Welford Road with an impromptu celebratory dance in the stands after last Saturday's semi-final. An Argentinian version of Tiger Feet – the Tiger Tango? – may be called for if Bath are unexpectedly beaten. French test Talking about brilliant viewing, did you see the sensational try that helped to propel Montauban back into the Top 14, at Grenoble's expense, for the first time in 15 years? If you live in the UK there is now more chance you will have done so: the play-off games in the French Pro D2 have been available for free on the FR-UK Rugby channel on YouTube, the rights having been secured by the podcaster and broadcaster Tim Cocker with the former England flanker Joe Worsley – now coaching at Brive – as a co-commentator. It is a smart move, with the French second tier increasingly supplying both excellent rugby and intriguing storylines. Can Grenoble now win the Top 14/Pro D2 Access match against Perpignan – who beat Toulouse in their final game of the regular season – this Saturday and join Montauban in the top flight? What a compelling prospect it is – and, hopefully, one which will remind England's rugby authorities about the value of end-of-season promotion/relegation jeopardy. Memory lane In September 1998, Australia faced Fiji in Sydney in, of all things, a RWC qualification match. The Wallabies, captained by John Eales who went on to lift the trophy again the following year, ran out 66-20 victors at Parramatta Stadium, in the only Test played between the two sides between 1985 and 2007. Lock-forward Eales kicked nine conversions and a penalty for 21 of Australia's points. Still want more? Is the R360 breakaway league the cure to rugby union's ills, wonders Andy Bull. And check out our weekly email of editors' picks, The Recap. Sign up here to receive it every Sunday morning.