The Danske Bank Women’s Premiership continues on Wednesday night with the third round of action.
After last season’s shortened campaign due to the pandemic, this season sees a full restoration with each of the sides in the top-flight playing each other four times.
All six sides are in action tonight with three derby matches - the North Belfast derby with Crusaders hosting Cliftonville, Linfield taking on Glentoran in the south of the city while Derry City host Sion Swifts in a North-West rivalry.
The games at the Brandywell and Midgely Park are starting at 7.45pm, with the action at Seaview getting underway at 8pm.
Derry City Women v Sion Swifts Ladies
Each of these sides are looking for their first points of the season and with multiple players from both sides hailing from the Donegal and Derry areas, this one will no doubt be hotly contested.
Sion have won the last six matches between the two, scoring 42 unanswered goals in the process.
However, Derry beat and drew with Sion at the Brandywell back in 2018 and the gap between the sides may have closed this campaign - meaning this one will be up for grabs and worth keeping an eye on.
Linfield Ladies v Glentoran Women
These two sides have shared the last five league titles - Glentoran won last year’s crown to end Linfield’s four-year title streak.
The Glens have had a perfect start to the league defence with two wins from two but both their fixtures - against Crusaders and Sion - were scoreless at the break and the Blues will be up for this one.
Phil Lewis’s Linfield won their league opener 3-0 over Sion but were edged out 3-2 by Cliftonville last week, with both of these sides being among this year’s contenders at the top.
The Glens are unbeaten in five in this fixture but this looks set to be a closely-fought encounter.
Crusaders Strikers v Cliftonville Ladies
There’s another derby at Seaview between two in-form sides who have made encouraging starts to the campaign.
Cliftonville followed up their opening day win at Derry with the scalp of Linfield last week in a five-goal thriller, while Crusaders - who were edged out 1-0 on the opening day at Glentoran - defeated the Candystripes 4-1 last week.
The Strikers have won the last three derbies - including a sensational 7-0 win at Solitude back in November last season - but the Reds will be up for revenge this time round.
Please note that due to current Covid-19 regulations all games are required to be played behind closed doors. No spectators are permitted to attend.
