NIFL Premiership
Ballymena United 2–2 Cliftonville
CLIFTONVILLE saw a late 2-0 lead wiped out as Ballymena United staged a remarkable comeback to salvage a draw at The Showgrounds on Friday evening.
Jamie McDonagh had volleyed his side ahead just after a quarter of an hour and a second less than 10 minutes from time looked to have sealed all three points.
But Leroy Millar pulled a goal back and in injury-time, referee Lee Tavinder awarded a spot-kick for hand ball and substitute Paul McElroy blasted home to give the Sky Blues a share of the spoils to the disappointment of Reds’ boss McLaughlin who felt the goals his side conceded were soft.
“It’s a sickener, definitely a sickener,” admits McLaughlin.
“We controlled the game; the conditions and the pitch weren’t great for football and both sides did their best.
“I thought we controlled a lot of the game - at 2-0 up I thought we were comfortable enough. We’ve a couple of chances to extend the lead but we were just hoping that we could see out the last few minutes.
“The first goal gave them a lift to throw the kitchen sink at us and. Unfortunately then we crack for a second time for the second goal. It’s disappointing and I’m really disappointed with the two goals and manner of them because I thought we’d learnt that over the last couple of games.
“It’s something we’ve got to work on extremely hard over the next couple of weeks because we can’t keep conceding soft goals. The performance was excellent, but the result is disappointing in the end.”
Conor McDermot takes on Leroy Millar
McLaughlin made one change from the side that drew 2-2 with Linfield on Tuesday evening with Joe Gormley replacing Daniel Kearns.
Both teams struggled to adapt to a bumpy and heavily sanded surface early doors with Cliftonville eventually carving out the first opportunity.
Joe Gormley released Jamie McDonagh with a terrific ball up the channel and McDonagh charged into a promising position before cutting the ball back. It evaded Ryan Curran and Cricky Gallagher shot was cleared off the line by Sean Graham.
Gormley then saw his shot charged down and Ryan Curran picked up the scraps, forcing a low save from Ciaran Gallagher in the Sky Blues’ goal at the expense of a corner.
The resulting corner was half cleared with McDonagh sending in a cross and Gallagher parried and Gormley winning a second corner in quick succession and from the next set-piece the opener arrived.
Levi Ives’ corner was half cleared, and Jamie McDonagh thumped the ball home on the volley from outside the area to make it 1-0 and score for the fourth time in four games.
The hosts were subdued in the opening half hour and Luke McNicholas came to claim a corner from Ross Redman in his only moment of action.
Goal scorer McDonagh spurned the chance to double his tally and Cliftonville’s lead on 32 minutes when Ronan Doherty’s low cross fell invitingly at the back post, but the winger scooped his effort over the bar with the goal gaping.
United’s first chance came 10 minutes before the break when Kenny Kane cut the ball back to Michael Place whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Jonny Addis.
A few minutes later, Luke McNicholas turned a dangerous Andy McGrory corner behind for another set-piece at the other side and the second delivery from Redman fell to Leroy Millar, but the midfielder saw his header land in the side netting and at the break Cliftonville held a narrow 1-0 lead.
The second half started rather slowly with Joe Gormley unleashing the first serious effort, which was blocked by Conor Keeley at the expense of requiring treatment.
Jonny Addis was then inches away from turning in a perfect McDonagh corner and the popular centre-back nodded wide from an Ives corner a few minutes later.
Conor McDermott squeezes his shot into the net
Ballymena United had a decent spell of pressure that saw Michael Place curl an effort high and wide of the target.
Place was then caught by a high foot and the free-kick from Millar was charged down in the wall by Ryan Curran.
The hosts failed to make the most of period on top and were caught out on 81 minutes. Substitute Paul O’Neill provided an out-ball in midfield and slipped in Jamie McDonagh who kept his balance under pressure and somehow directed a shot low past Gallagher to make it 2-0.
It appeared as though the game was up for the hosts, but they found a lifeline with two minutes remaining as Leroy Millar squeezed a low shot to the net to set-up a grandstand finish.
United forced a corner in the first minute of added time and it dropped in the to Conor Keeley whose shot brushed the hand of Chris Gallagher and referee Lee Tavinder pointed to the spot.
Only on the pitch less than three minutes, Paul McElroy seized responsibility and confidently dispatched from the spot to remarkably draw it level at 2-2.
There was a late opportunity for the visitors to steal the spoils, but Jamie McDonagh’s free-kick was charged down, and it finished all square at The Showgrounds.
BALLYMENA UNITED: Gallagher, Redman, McCullough (McElroy 88), Kane (Bramall 84), Barr (Henderson 84), McGrory, Parkhouse (Nelson 74), Keeley, Millar, Graham, Place (Smith 85).
CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, McDermott, Addis, Turner, Ives, Lowe (Donnelly 88), Doherty (C Curran 81), Gallagher, McDonagh, R Curran (Harney 87), Gormley (O’Neill 75).
REFEREE: Lee Tavinder
