Northern Ireland - NIFL PremiershipData current as of 23 July 2026

Ballymena United vs Cliftonville: match statistics

130%(3.40)
X28%(3.40)
242%(2.00)

Cliftonville is displaying significantly better form than Ballymena United, confirmed by the points record in the last 5 matches (1.6 PPG vs 0.8 PPG). The hosts sit in 9th place with only a 30% home win rate and a negative goal difference (-2), while the visitors occupy the 6th position and show balanced away statistics (33% wins, draws, and losses). Cliftonville dominates possession (53% vs 45%) and has better scoring efficiency in the last 5 matches (10 goals vs 4 goals). Ballymena loses as many as 50% of home matches, which, given their current form (3 losses in the last 5 matches), makes them a clear outsider. Considering all metrics, Cliftonville has a real advantage, though it is not a certain victory due to the unpredictability of away matches.

Ballymena United vs Cliftonville: form, goals and key statistics

Key match information

Ballymena United play Cliftonville in NIFL Premiership (Northern Ireland). The match date is 13 January 2026 at 20:45. Final score: 2:2.

Current form

Ballymena United: 1-2-2, 1.00 points/match. Cliftonville: 2-0-3, 1.20 points/match.

Goal statistics

Ballymena United scores 1.21 and concedes 1.53 goals per match. Cliftonville scores 1.44 and concedes 1.56. League average: 2.94 goals.

BTTS / Over / Under

BTTS: Ballymena United 55%, Cliftonville 59%. Over 2.5: Ballymena United 47%, Cliftonville 59%. League level: BTTS 52%, Over 2.5 56%.

xG, shots and style

Cliftonville has higher xG: 1.41 vs 1.17. Ballymena United: 9.2 shots per match, Cliftonville: 11.8.

Match halves

Ballymena United: half-time lead 18%, second-half goals 0.76. Cliftonville: half-time lead 28%, second-half goals 0.79.

Goals by minute

Ballymena United: 61-75 (13 goals). Cliftonville: 76-90+ (14 goals). This is historical distribution, not a predicted goal minute.

League context

NIFL Premiership: 2.94 goals per match, BTTS 52%, Over 2.5 56%.

Head-to-head

2 H2H matches: 0-1-1. Average goals 4.50, BTTS 100%.

Match description

Cliftonville is displaying significantly better form than Ballymena United, confirmed by the points record in the last 5 matches (1.6 PPG vs 0.8 PPG). The hosts sit in 9th place with only a 30% home win rate and a negative goal difference (-2), while the visitors occupy the 6th position and show balanced away statistics (33% wins, draws, and losses). Cliftonville dominates possession (53% vs 45%) and has better scoring efficiency in the last 5 matches (10 goals vs 4 goals). Ballymena loses as many as 50% of home matches, which, given their current form (3 losses in the last 5 matches), makes them a clear outsider. Considering all metrics, Cliftonville has a real advantage, though it is not a certain victory due to the unpredictability of away matches.

Half-by-half

1 : 1
1st half
1 : 1
2nd half

Match statistics

36Possession (%)64
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
8Shots16
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
4Shots on target7
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.06xG1.83
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
4Corners5
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
38Dangerous attacks46
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
11Fouls18
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1Cards3
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

Pre-match profilewhat do the season numbers say?

This is a team profile based on season data and form. Match-flow statistics are shown only after the fixture is played.

Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.21Goals scored / match1.44
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.53Goals conceded / match1.56
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
47%Average possession52%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
3.18Shots on target / match4.28
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

Team statswho is more efficient?

Attack and defence comparison for both teams in the current season.

9.24Shots per match11.77
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
3.18Shots on target4.28
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
13.1%Shot conversion12.2%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
47%Possession52%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.17xG for1.41
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.45xG against1.46
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

Shooting quality

Ballymena United: Counter-attackingCliftonville: Balanced
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
Accuracy (shots on target)34%36%
Chance quality (xG per shot)0.130.12
Finishing (goals per shot on target)0.380.34

xG per shot around 0.08 usually means long-range attempts; 0.15+ usually means box chances. The style label comes from possession, shot volume and conversion.

* xG (expected goals) says how many goals a team should score from its chances. If actual goals are above xG, finishing is above average; if below xG, chances are being missed.

Team formwho is in better shape?

Last five matches and season record, overall and split by home and away matches.

Cliftonville is 20% better for: last-5 form.

1 pts / match - Ballymena United · 1.2 pts / match - Cliftonville

Ballymena United
DWDLL
Season result split
26% W24% R50% P
Season (W-D-L)
10-9-19
1.03 pts / match · goal difference -12
Last 5 (W-D-L)
1-2-2
1.00 pts / match
Record at home (W-D-L)
5-7-7
Last 5 at home
1-3-1
DWDDL
Last 5 matches - averages
Goals scored: 1.4Goals conceded: 1.6xG: 1.29Opponent xG: 0.98BTTS: 80%Over 2.5: 60%
Cliftonville
LLWWL
Season result split
38% W21% R41% P
Season (W-D-L)
15-8-16
1.36 pts / match · goal difference -5
Last 5 (W-D-L)
2-0-3
1.20 pts / match
Record away (W-D-L)
6-4-9
Last 5 away
1-0-4
LLLLW
Last 5 matches - averages
Goals scored: 1.4Goals conceded: 2.2xG: 1.27Opponent xG: 1.38BTTS: 80%Over 2.5: 80%

Goalshow do both teams score and concede?

How many goals both teams score and concede, plus how often they keep a clean sheet or fail to score.

Cliftonville is 19% better for: goals scored per match.

1.21 goals / match - Ballymena United · 1.44 goals / match - Cliftonville

Ballymena United scoring profile: very strong

Ballymena United scores in 71% of matches (27 of 38 matches), while Cliftonville keeps a clean sheet in 26% (10 of 39 matches).

Cliftonville scoring profile: very strong

Cliftonville scores in 77% of matches (30 of 39 matches), while Ballymena United keeps a clean sheet in 18% (7 of 38 matches).

46Goals scored (season)56
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
58Goals conceded (season)61
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
2.74Average goals in match3
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
7Goals scored (last 5)7
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
8Goals conceded (last 5)11
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

How often they score at least...

71%1 goal77%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
39%2 goals41%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
8%3 goals15%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
3%4 goals5%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

How often they concede at least...

82%1 goal74%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
61%2 goals54%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
11%3 goals15%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
0%4 goals8%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

* Statistics include both teams' home and away matches in the current season.

Both teams scored (BTTS)how often do both teams score?

How often both teams' matches have goals on both sides, compared with the league average.

55%
Ballymena United - BTTSBTTS - percentage of matches where both teams scored.21 of 38 matches
52%
League average

Goal patterns

24%BTTS at half-time26%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
8%BTTS in both halves8%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
29%Scored in both halves21%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

BTTS and goal count

45%Min. 3 goals and BTTS54%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
3%Min. 3 goals without BTTS5%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
80%BTTS - last 580%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

Goal count (Over/Under)how often do these matches cross the goal lines?

How often matches involving these teams clear goal thresholds, in the full match and in each half.

1st half

79%Min. 1 goal before half-time74%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
42%Min. 2 goals before half-time38%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
5%Min. 3 goals before half-time13%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

2nd half

82%Min. 1 goal after half-time77%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
47%Min. 2 goals after half-time49%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
11%Min. 3 goals after half-time23%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

Match halveswhen do the teams score more often?

How teams split performance between first and second half: goals, points, clean sheets and half-time state.

Cliftonville is 29% better for: first-half form (half-time points).

0.95 pts / match - Ballymena United · 1.23 pts / match - Cliftonville

Ballymena United - half-time state
18% leading39% draw42% trailing
Cliftonville - half-time state
28% leading38% draw33% trailing

Before half-time (1st half)

0.95Points per match (1st half)1.23
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
0.45Goals scored (1st half)0.64
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
0.84Goals conceded (1st half)0.77
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.29Average goals (1st half)1.41
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
39%Clean sheet before half-time46%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
58%No goal before half-time54%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

After half-time (2nd half)

1.37Points per match (2nd half)1.38
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
0.76Goals scored (2nd half)0.79
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
0.68Goals conceded (2nd half)0.79
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
1.45Average goals (2nd half)1.59
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
45%Clean sheet after half-time46%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville
42%No goal after half-time49%
Ballymena UnitedCliftonville

Ballymena United - second-half results

32% W42% R26% P
36
Half-time points
17
Half-time goals
-15
Goal difference (1st half)
52
Second-half points
+3
Goal difference (2nd half)
0.95
PPG before half-time
Lead holding144%

Leads at half-time in 18% of matches and wins 26%. Also wins matches without a half-time lead.

Defence after half-time-0.2

Defence stays stable across the full match.

Cliftonville - second-half results

36% W31% R33% P
48
Half-time points
25
Half-time goals
-5
Goal difference (1st half)
54
Second-half points
0
Goal difference (2nd half)
1.23
PPG before half-time
Lead holding136%

Leads at half-time in 28% of matches and wins 38%. Also wins matches without a half-time lead.

Defence after half-time+0.0

Defence stays stable across the full match.

Ballymena United - last 5 matches by half
1st half2nd half
Points per match1.001.60
Goals scored / match0.60.8
Goals conceded / match1.00.6
Average goals in match1.61.4
1 goal80%80%
2 goals40%40%
3 goals20%20%
Clean sheet40%40%
No goal40%40%
Goal difference-2+1
Half-time: 20% leading - 40% draw - 40% trailing
2nd half: 40% won - 40% draw - 20% lost
BTTS at half-time (last 5): 40% - Half-time goals total: 3
Cliftonville - last 5 matches by half
1st half2nd half
Points per match1.001.40
Goals scored / match1.00.4
Goals conceded / match1.60.6
Average goals in match2.61.0
1 goal80%80%
2 goals80%20%
3 goals40%0%
Clean sheet20%60%
No goal40%60%
Goal difference-3-1
Half-time: 20% leading - 40% draw - 40% trailing
2nd half: 40% won - 20% draw - 40% lost
BTTS at half-time (last 5): 60% - Half-time goals total: 5

* Colours in tables show event frequency: green is common, yellow is moderate, red is rare. It is frequency, not a team rating.

Goals by minutewhen do goals arrive?

Match phases in which both teams most often score and concede.

Ballymena United
ScoredConceded
5
13
0-15
4
8
16-30
8
11
31-45
8
7
46-60
13
5
61-75
8
14
76-90

Most dangerous in minutes 61-75 (13 goli). Concedes most in 76-90 (14). Late-goal balance (76-90): -6 - late phases are a weakness.

Cliftonville
ScoredConceded
9
3
0-15
7
11
16-30
9
16
31-45
10
8
46-60
7
13
61-75
14
10
76-90

Most dangerous in minutes 76-90 (14 goli). Concedes most in 31-45 (16). Late-goal balance (76-90): +4 - wins late phases.

* Buckets 31-45 and 76-90 include added-time goals.

Additional team indicatorswhat do xG, efficiency and form show?

A comparison of chance quality, results and trends based on completed matches from the current season.

Match profile

2.87
Estimated goals
attack vs opponent defence
1.4 : 1.5
Estimated goal split
home : away
98%
Pace vs league
100% = league average
57%
Both teams scored (BTTS)
average from both teams' seasons
+57%
Derby effect
H2H goals vs typical matches
55%
BTTS estimate
from both teams' scoring frequency
7%
0:0 risk
about 1 in 14 matches
2-3
Most common goal range
attack vs defence on both sides

Ballymena United

Net xG balance
Difference between the quality of chances created and allowed per match.
-0.28
Results compared with xG
Difference between the actual goal balance and the balance suggested by xG.
-0.04
Points compared with goal balance
Comparison between collected points and the points implied by the team's goal balance.
-5.0 pts
Finishing efficiency
Does the team convert chances? Positive means it scores more than the quality of chances suggests.
+0.04
Defensive efficiency
Does the defence or goalkeeper save the team? Positive means it concedes less than the chances allowed suggest.
-0.08
Attack vs league
How much the team scores compared with the league average for this role. 120% means 20% above average.
75%
Defence vs league
How much the team concedes compared with the league average. 80% means 20% fewer goals conceded.
115%
Form trend
Compares points from the last 5 matches with the whole-season average.
-0.03
Stronger second half?
How many more goals the team scores after half-time than before it.
+0.3
Late goals
17% of this team's goals come in minutes 76-90. For comparison, 11% come in the first quarter-hour.
17%

Cliftonville

Net xG balance
Difference between the quality of chances created and allowed per match.
-0.05
Results compared with xG
Difference between the actual goal balance and the balance suggested by xG.
-0.07
Points compared with goal balance
Comparison between collected points and the points implied by the team's goal balance.
-0.5 pts
Finishing efficiency
Does the team convert chances? Positive means it scores more than the quality of chances suggests.
+0.03
Defensive efficiency
Does the defence or goalkeeper save the team? Positive means it concedes less than the chances allowed suggest.
-0.10
Attack vs league
How much the team scores compared with the league average for this role. 120% means 20% above average.
108%
Defence vs league
How much the team concedes compared with the league average. 80% means 20% fewer goals conceded.
97%
Form trend
Compares points from the last 5 matches with the whole-season average.
-0.16
Stronger second half?
How many more goals the team scores after half-time than before it.
+0.2
Late goals
25% of this team's goals come in minutes 76-90. For comparison, 16% come in the first quarter-hour.
25%

* The estimated goal total and split, BTTS estimate, 0:0 risk and goal range are calculated from public season averages and frequencies for both teams. This is a statistical match profile, not a private model prediction or betting pick. The remaining indicators describe completed matches from the season.

League contextis this a high-scoring league?

How both teams compare with league-wide averages (NIFL Premiership).

Teams vs league

Ballymena UnitedLigaCliftonville
Average goals in match 2.742.94 3.00
Both teams scored 55%52% 59%
Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5) 47%56% 59%
Clean sheets 18%26% 26%
Goal before half-time 79%76% 74%
Goal after half-time 82%80% 77%

^ green = above league average, ˇ red = below league average. This shows direction of the gap, not a team rating.

2.94
Average goals per match
52%
Both teams scored
56%
Min. 3 goals (Over 2.5)
26%
Clean sheets
1.61
Home goals / match
1.33
Away goals / match
+21%
Home attack advantage
+17%
Home defence advantage
+11%
Total home advantage
Goals in 1st half (whole league)
76%
1 goal
40%
2 goals
13%
3 goals
3%
4 goals
Goals in 2nd half (whole league)
80%
1 goal
47%
2 goals
22%
3 goals
8%
4 goals

Head-to-head

Recent meetings (2): Ballymena United 0 - 1 - 1 Cliftonville. Average goals 4.50, both teams scored in 100% matches.

Cliftonville FC
2 : 2
Ballymena United FC
Cliftonville FC
3 : 2
Ballymena United FC

FAQ

What was the result of Ballymena United vs Cliftonville?

The NIFL Premiership match finished Ballymena United 2:2 Cliftonville. Full match statistics, the half-by-half breakdown and head-to-head are on this page.

What is the head-to-head record between Ballymena United and Cliftonville?

In the last 2 head-to-head matches Ballymena United won 0, Cliftonville won 1 and 1 ended level. These games averaged 4.50 goals, with both teams scoring in 100% of them.

What do the goal statistics show before Ballymena United vs Cliftonville?

Ballymena United score 1.21 goals per game on average and Cliftonville 1.44. The NIFL Premiership average is 2.94 goals, with Over 2.5 landing in 56% of games. Both teams score in 55% of Ballymena United's matches and 59% of Cliftonville's.

What form are Ballymena United and Cliftonville in?

Over the last 5 games Ballymena United have a 1-2-2 record (1.00 points per game) and Cliftonville 2-0-3 (1.20 points per game).

Where can I find a betting tip and analysis for Ballymena United vs Cliftonville?

This page shows the full statistical context — form, head-to-head, goals, BTTS and Over/Under. The tip, value assessment and full reasoning are in the NoFluffPicks app.