NIFL Premiership
Larne 1-1 Cliftonville
CLIFTONVILLE ended a hard run of away fixtures over the last 10 days with a 1-1 draw away to Larne at Inver Park on Tuesday evening.
A fantastic Levi Ives free-kick had the visitors in front at half-time in East Antrim, but Ronan Hale equalised early in the second half to ensure the spoils were shared as Cliftonville remain two points clear at the top of the table.
Manager Paddy McLaughlin felt it was a really good point and praised their application on the back of Saturday’s draw with Coleraine.
“It’s a really, really good point - the same as Saturday, we’re delighted with it,” McLaughlin reflected.
“We had to work hard, the same as Coleraine. I don’t think anybody on both sides would argue that a point is probably a fair result.
“When you come to places like this, you have to work hard for anything you get and we had to do that for the point. We’ll move on and we’re delighted to get out of here with a point, but I don’t think there will be any complaints from both sides.”
McLaughlin made one change from the weekend’s draw in Coleraine as Chris Curran returned to the starting line-up at the expense of Aaron Donnelly.
Ives celebrates scoring his goal
After a fairly uneventful opening to the game, it was Larne who threatened first. Ronan Hale tried his luck from Tomas Cosgrove’s cross and ball fell nicely to Graeme Kelly whose effort was blocked.
David McDaid let fly with an effort that Luke McNicholas may have helped over a few minutes later and the hosts’ pressure continued as Kelly glanced over from a free header in the area after Ben Doherty cut the ball back to Cosgrove in the wide position.
A further opportunity came when Jamie McDonagh mis-controlled in the area and Ronan Hale seized upon the loose ball and bent his effort wide of the post.
It took Cliftonville 23 minutes to force their first opening, but it would be worth the wait as Joe Gormley was fouled and free-kick given.
Levi Ives stood over it and curled the ball high over the wall and past Larne goalkeeper Michael Argyrides to make it 1-0.
The hosts attempted to hit back immediately with David McDaid forcing a corner off McDonagh and resulting set-piece was headed inches over the bar by Kofi Balmer.
Graeme Kelly was then slipped through but Luke McNicholas got down low to smother and just before the break, Kelly scuffed a cross-cum-shot wide of the post as Ives’ goal was the difference at the interval.
Larne picked up where they left off before the break as Doherty hit a snapshot which Luke McNicholas gathered with ease.
The hosts eventually got back on level terms on 52 minutes when Fuad Sule pierced the ball through to Ronan Hale whose low half-volley found the net.
On the hour-mark, Ronan Hale showed neat footwork in the area, but Gallagher blocked and then Ben Doherty tried his luck with McNicholas claiming.
Ronan Hale wheels away after netting the equaliser
With 20 minutes remaining, Mark Randall sent a corner the whole way across the box in the swirling wind, but nobody could get a vital touch.
Cliftonville came into the game in the final quarter of an hour and could have reclaimed the lead when Kris Lowe played a short throw-in to Chris Gallagher and then advanced on the overlap, but he was crowded out and his angled effort took a deflection and went out for a throw-in.
At the other end, Daniel Kearns threw himself in the way of a dangerous Hale opening. Try as they might, Larne couldn’t force the winner and it ended all square at Inver Park.
Linfield moved up into second as two late goals saw them overcome Carrick Rangers at Windsor Park. The result leaves them two points of adrift of top spot but they have a game in hand.
Paul Heatley and Philip Lowry struck for Crusaders to see them to a 2-0 win over Portadown at Seaview, while Glenavon were also 2-0 winners with Andy Waterworth and Peter Campbell on target at Dungannon Swifts.
The night's other game saw Ballymena a United defeat Warrenpoint Town 2-1. The game between Coleraine and Glentoran was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols.
LARNE: Argyrides, Balmer, Kelly, Watson, Sule (Jarvis 90+1), Randall (Mitchell 82), Hale, McDaid (Lynch 82), Doherty (Nasseri 67), Bolger, Cosgrove.
CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, Lowe, Addis, Turner, Ives, C Curran (McDermott 87), Gallagher, Kearns, R Curran, McDonagh (Doherty 65), Gormley (O’Neill 72).
REFEREE: Andrew Davey
