NIFL Premiership 2026/2027
Northern IrelandSeason 2026/2027
About the league: NIFL Premiership
NIFL Premiership is a football league from Northern Ireland that we track match by match. 12 teams are competing in the 2026/2027 season; Coleraine lead the table with 31 points. The campaign runs from 7 August 2026 to 27 March 2027. The average is 2.71 goals per game; both teams find the net (BTTS) in 49% of matches.
NIFL Premiership 2026/2027: season in numbers
Season picture
In the 2026/2027 season, 69 NIFL Premiership matches have been completed. Coleraine leads the table with 31 points.
Goal tempo
Average goals: 2.71. BTTS: 49%. Over 2.5: 54%. Clean-sheet matches: 51%.
Result split
Home wins: 45%. Draws: 14%. Away wins: 41%.
Team rankings
Coleraine has the league's highest goals-per-match average at 2.17. Both teams scored in 67% of Crusaders's matches.
League table
| # | Team | M | W | D | L | Goals | +/- | Pts | PPG | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Coleraine | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 26:12 | +14 | 31 | 2.58 | WLWWW |
| 2 |  Linfield | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 16:8 | +8 | 26 | 2.36 | WWWDW |
| 3 |  Glentoran | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 16:10 | +6 | 20 | 1.67 | WWWDW |
| 4 |  Larne | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17:6 | +11 | 19 | 2.38 | WWWLL |
| 5 |  Carrick Rangers | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 21:19 | +2 | 17 | 1.42 | LLWWD |
| 6 |  Ballymena United | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 17:15 | +2 | 15 | 1.36 | DWWLW |
| 7 |  Crusaders | 12 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 16:23 | -7 | 15 | 1.25 | LWLLL |
| 8 |  Dungannon Swifts | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 11:14 | -3 | 14 | 1.27 | LDLLD |
| 9 |  Limavady United | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 12:16 | -4 | 13 | 1.18 | LWDWL |
| 10 |  Cliftonville | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 13:15 | -2 | 12 | 1.00 | LLLLL |
| 11 |  Portadown | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 9:22 | -13 | 6 | 0.50 | LLDDW |
| 12 |  Bangor | 12 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10:24 | -14 | 6 | 0.50 | WLLLD |
League statistics
Season 2026/2027 statistics are based on 69 completed matches.
Goal-count distribution
Team rankings
Compare teams by goals per match, BTTS, Over 2.5, clean sheets and corners across completed league matches.
Best attack
Goals scored per match
- 1Coleraine2.17
- 2Larne2.00
- 3Carrick Rangers1.75
- 4Ballymena United1.55
- 5Linfield1.50
Best defence
Goals conceded per match (lower is better)
- 1Linfield0.75
- 2Glentoran0.83
- 3Larne0.89
- 4Coleraine1.00
- 5Cliftonville1.25
Most BTTS
% of matches where both teams scored
- 1Crusaders67%
- 2Ballymena United64%
- 3Coleraine58%
- 4Glentoran50%
- 5Portadown50%
Most Over 2.5
% of matches with at least 3 goals
- 1Crusaders92%
- 2Coleraine67%
- 3Bangor58%
- 4Carrick Rangers58%
- 5Larne56%
Most corners
Corners per match
- 1Linfield6.3
- 2Glentoran6.2
- 3Carrick Rangers5.8
- 4Coleraine5.5
- 5Cliftonville5.1
League style
See whether this league tends to produce fast, open or physical matches and how much home advantage matters.
Compared with other leagues, NIFL Premiership sits Below average for match pace, Above average for chance quality and Close to average for openness. Home advantage is Below average, match intensity Below average, and competitive balance Below average.
Player leaders
Season leaders based on recorded player data.
Top scorers
Top assists
Highest ratings
- 1Owen Waddell7.81
- 2Andrew Mills7.60
- 3Matthew Fitzpatrick7.12
- 4Ethan McGee7.10
- 5Peter Morrison7.07
- 6Tomas Cosgrove7.07
- 7Luke McCullough7.07
- 8Daniel Purkis7.03
Most minutes
- 1Philip Lowry1,126
- 2Shea Callister1,080
- 3Dean McMaster1,080
- 4Alex Bannon1,080
- 5Benjamin Buchanan-Rolleston1,080
- 6Ryan Thomas Cooney1,080
- 7Lewis Webb1,080
- 8William Patching1,075
xG table and expected points
Compare team results with the quality of chances they create and allow.
| # | Team | M | xGxG - expected goals, the quality of scoring chances. | xGAxGA - expected goals allowed to opponents. | xGD | xPtsxPts - expected points calculated from xG. | Pts | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linfield | 12 | 1.45 | 0.89 | +0.55 | 21 | 29 | +8 |
| 2 | Coleraine | 11 | 1.70 | 0.93 | +0.77 | 20 | 30 | +10 |
| 3 | Glentoran | 12 | 1.37 | 1.14 | +0.23 | 18 | 20 | +2 |
| 4 | Cliftonville | 12 | 1.35 | 1.43 | -0.08 | 16 | 12 | -4 |
| 5 | Larne | 8 | 1.62 | 0.88 | +0.74 | 15 | 18 | +3 |
| 6 | Dungannon Swifts | 10 | 1.49 | 1.23 | +0.26 | 15 | 11 | -4 |
| 7 | Carrick Rangers | 11 | 1.53 | 1.59 | -0.05 | 15 | 14 | -1 |
| 8 | Ballymena United | 11 | 1.20 | 1.34 | -0.13 | 14 | 15 | +1 |
| 9 | Portadown | 12 | 1.09 | 1.57 | -0.48 | 13 | 6 | -7 |
| 10 | Bangor | 11 | 0.99 | 1.40 | -0.41 | 12 | 6 | -6 |
| 11 | Crusaders | 12 | 0.95 | 1.47 | -0.52 | 12 | 15 | +3 |
| 12 | Limavady United | 10 | 0.91 | 1.62 | -0.71 | 9 | 13 | +4 |
xGxG (expected goals) — how many goals a team should score from the quality of its chances. = xG means expected goals. xPts are calculated from each match xG with a Poisson distribution. The delta column: positive (yellow) means more points than performance suggests; negative (green) means the team plays better than the table shows.
Matches and fixtures
Results and upcoming matches - switch rounds with arrows or the list.
Competition fixtures
Round 3
FAQ
How many teams play in NIFL Premiership?
The 2026/2027 season of NIFL Premiership includes 12 teams.
When does the 2026/2027 NIFL Premiership season start and end?
The 2026/2027 NIFL Premiership season runs from 7 August 2026 to 27 March 2027.
How many matchweeks does the NIFL Premiership season have?
The 2026/2027 NIFL Premiership season spans 33 matchweeks.
Who leads the NIFL Premiership table?
Coleraine leads NIFL Premiership with 31 points.
Which team scores the most goals in NIFL Premiership?
Coleraine has the strongest attack in NIFL Premiership, scoring 2.17 goals per match.
Which team has the best defence in NIFL Premiership?
Linfield concedes the fewest goals in NIFL Premiership, 0.75 per match.
How many goals are scored on average in NIFL Premiership?
NIFL Premiership averages 2.71 goals per match.
How often does Over 2.5 land in NIFL Premiership?
Over 2.5 lands in 54% of NIFL Premiership matches.
How often do both teams score in NIFL Premiership?
BTTS lands in 49% of NIFL Premiership matches.
Do home teams have an advantage in NIFL Premiership?
Home teams win 45% of matches in NIFL Premiership.
Who is the top scorer in NIFL Premiership?
Matthew Shevlin leads the recorded scoring table in NIFL Premiership for 2026/2027 with 8 goals.