Coleraine host Cliftonville in the Northern Ireland Premiership. It's been a fine start to the campaign for the home side, while Cliftonville have had a much bumpier ride so far this term.
These two have crossed paths several times over the last couple of seasons, and the recent head-to-head record leans one way. Where both clubs currently sit in the table only adds to that picture.
Analysis updated .
Compare bookmakers
Contrasting form lines
Coleraine have made an excellent start to the season, winning seven of their opening eight league games and drawing the other. They've been scoring freely and keeping things tight at the back, which is a rare combination.
Coleraine FC: 20 completed matches; Cliftonville FC: 20 completed matches.
Coleraine FC
- Win
- 75% 15 / 20
- Draw
- 10% 2 / 20
- Loss
- 15% 3 / 20
- Scored
- 46
- Conceded
- 24
- Difference
- +22
Cliftonville FC
- Win
- 50% 10 / 20
- Draw
- 0% 0 / 20
- Loss
- 50% 10 / 20
- Scored
- 28
- Conceded
- 30
- Difference
- -2
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Linfield | 25.09.2026 | 1-3 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Limavady United | 19.09.2026 | 1-0 |
| Premiership | Glentoran | Coleraine FC | 15.09.2026 | 1-2 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Ballymena United | 11.09.2026 | 3-2 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Crusaders FC | 05.09.2026 | 4-1 |
| Premiership | Portadown | Coleraine FC | 28.08.2026 | 0-3 |
| Premiership | Carrick Rangers | Coleraine FC | 22.08.2026 | 0-2 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Larne | 15.08.2026 | 0-0 |
| Premiership | Dungannon Swifts | Coleraine FC | 08.08.2026 | 1-3 |
| UEFA Europa Conference League | Coleraine FC | HJK Helsinki | 30.07.2026 | 0-3 |
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | Limavady United | Cliftonville FC | 26.09.2026 | 1-0 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Glentoran | 19.09.2026 | 1-2 |
| Premiership | Larne | Cliftonville FC | 15.09.2026 | 2-0 |
| Premiership | Carrick Rangers | Cliftonville FC | 12.09.2026 | 1-3 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Portadown | 05.09.2026 | 3-1 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Dungannon Swifts | 29.08.2026 | 0-2 |
| Premiership | Linfield | Cliftonville FC | 21.08.2026 | 1-0 |
| Premiership | Bangor | Cliftonville FC | 15.08.2026 | 0-3 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Crusaders FC | 07.08.2026 | 2-1 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Cliftonville FC | Alvechurch | 25.07.2026 | 1-2 |
Cliftonville's form has been far more up and down. Four wins and four losses in the same period, with goals going in at both ends rather than a settled pattern. There's no sign of a long losing run, but no real consistency either.
Coleraine's balance of scoring and defending has been the standout feature of their season so far.
Comparative Team Statistics: Coleraine FC vs Cliftonville FC
Recent meetings favour Coleraine
The last two meetings between these sides, both played at Coleraine, went the home side's way — a 6-2 win in April and a narrower 1-0 success before that. Cliftonville have had their moments too, including a 1-0 win at Solitude and a couple of draws in this fixture over the years.
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Cliftonville FC | 11.04.2026 | 6-2 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Cliftonville FC | 14.03.2026 | 1-0 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Coleraine FC | 22.11.2025 | 1-0 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Coleraine FC | 16.08.2025 | 0-0 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Cliftonville FC | 11.05.2025 | 0-2 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Cliftonville FC | 18.03.2025 | 2-2 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Cliftonville FC | 04.02.2025 | 0-0 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Coleraine FC | 22.10.2024 | 2-1 |
| Premiership | Coleraine FC | Cliftonville FC | 06.04.2024 | 2-2 |
| Premiership | Cliftonville FC | Coleraine FC | 10.02.2024 | 4-1 |
So the head-to-head is closer than the last two results alone suggest, but the most recent trend at this particular ground has been clearly in Coleraine's favour.
A ten-point gap in the table
Coleraine sit top after eight games, with 22 points from seven wins and a draw. Cliftonville are down in fifth with 12 points from four wins and four defeats in the same number of matches.
| № | Team | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | GF/GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coleraine FC | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 19/8 | 22 |
| 2 | Linfield | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 12/6 | 22 |
| 3 | Larne | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12/3 | 16 |
| 6 | Dungannon Swifts | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 9/8 | 13 |
| 7 | Cliftonville FC | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 12/11 | 12 |
| 8 | Carrick Rangers | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 11/15 | 10 |
That gap lines up with what the recent form has shown — Coleraine have been the more reliable side by some distance this season.
How this one might play out
Coleraine have conceded just five goals in their eight league games, so Cliftonville will need to work hard for openings. At the same time, Cliftonville have scored a dozen goals themselves this season, so they're not short of attacking threat when they get going.
Given Coleraine's tightness at home and Cliftonville's habit of leaking goals on the road, a low-scoring game with Coleraine controlling things looks the more likely shape, though Cliftonville have shown they can trouble decent sides too.
Squad lists and player details
Squad and player details
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Boyle | Northern Ireland | 24 | Midfielder | 172 cm | 60 kg |
| A. Scott | Northern Ireland | 26 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| C. Murray | Scotland | 29 | Attacker | 173 cm | 66 kg |
| C. Harkin | Northern Ireland | 30 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| J. Glackin | Northern Ireland | 31 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| J. McGonigle | Northern Ireland | 30 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| M. Shevlin | Northern Ireland | 27 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| R. Campbell | Northern Ireland | 27 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| K. McClelland | Northern Ireland | 24 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| K. Spence | Scotland | 29 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| J. Scott | Northern Ireland | 24 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| M. Carse | Scotland | 22 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| K. McLaughlin | Northern Ireland | 22 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| C. Smith | Northern Ireland | 21 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| C. Donnelly | Northern Ireland | 20 | Goalkeeper | n/a | n/a |
| S. Devine | Northern Ireland | 19 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| C. O'Hara | Northern Ireland | 20 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| A. Gaston | Northern Ireland | 18 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| Sam McClintock | Northern Ireland | 24 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| M. Burns | Northern Ireland | 18 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conor Falls | England | 22 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
Everything here points to Coleraine being the more solid, in-form side, and their recent record against Cliftonville backs that up. But without a market to test that view against, there's no natural angle to put forward with any real conviction.
This one's best watched rather than backed on the numbers available. Coleraine look the likelier winners on the evidence, but that's a form-based view rather than a betting case.
Who will win?
