NIFL Premiership
Coleraine 2–4 Cliftonville 

Cliftonville got back to winning ways in the league and avenged their opening-day defeat to Coleraine with a 4-2 win at the Showgrounds on Saturday afternoon.  

A double from Rory Hale had the Reds in control early on before a deflected Conor McKendry strike halved the deficit at the interval. 

Ryan Curran restored the two-goal lead, but a nervy finish ensued when Matthew Shevlin poked home with little under a quarter of an hour remaining. 

Paddy McLaughlin’s charges eventually sealed all three points through a late goal from substitute Joe Gormley to ensure they stay in amongst the league pacesetters much to the delight of their manager- who praised the contribution of all his players. 

“You couldn’t pick any individual out and say it was their work that got us this result, it wasn’t – it was everybody on the pitch,” acknowledged McLaughlin. 

“Even the two boys that came on late-on, Chris Curran and Joe Gormley, they drove us over the line and Joe obviously scored the goal that sealed the game, so it was a good team performance throughout. 

“The two goals against, there wasn’t much we could do about it - a double deflection and a cross-come-shot - but outside of that, I thought our play and our goals were excellent. It is what we’re all about and the disappointment of last week was put to bed today. It was important that we bounced back straight away, and the boys did that throughout the match.”

Rory Hale curls home
2Gallery

Rory Hale curls home

McLaughlin was forced into one alteration from last weekend’s 4-0 defeat to Larne as Jamie Robinson made his first league start of the campaign in place of Sean Moore [suspension].

Coleraine were first to threaten within the first two minutes when Lee Lynch ran onto a flick-on from Matthew Shevlin, but his low effort was turned behind for a corner by Nathan Gartside. 

But it was Cliftonville who struck first at the Showgrounds, Rory Hale tried to pick out the run of his brother Ronan on the edge of the box, but the opportunity was cut out and Jamie McDonagh held the ball up before slipping the ball to Rory who placed a low shot past Gareth Deane at the near post and make it 1-0. 

Two minutes later, a defensive lapse between Lee Lynch and Stephen O’Donnell presented Ronan Hale with the ball and he played an intelligent pass to his older brother to bend a shot beyond the reach of Deane to double his tally and make it 2-0 after eight minutes. 

A third almost presented itself for the visitors as Jamie Robinson lofted a high ball over the top for Ronan Hale to chase, but he lifted his shot over Gareth Deane and the crossbar. 

The Reds’ sharpness almost caught the napping Bannsiders out just after the half-hour and only a deflection from Stephen O’Donnell blocked Ronan Doherty’s attempt at the expense of a corner, from which Jamie Robinson headed over the bar from McDonagh’s delivery. 

Coleraine had their best spell of the game before the break. Conor McKendry charged forward and got the ball off to Lynch. He was denied by Gartside for a second time and Lyndon Kane’s follow-up was diverted behind for a corner. 

Jamie Glackin was next to threaten, flashing in a dangerous cross that Jamie Robinson was forced to head behind, 

The resulting corner from Lee Lynch dropped to Stephen O’Donnell at the back post and he headed it across to Glackin whose overhead kick drifted wide of the post. 

The Bannsiders’ pressure paid off and they pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time. Conor McKendry tried his luck with a shot that took a double deflection off Luke Turner and Jonny Addis before looping into the net to make it 2-1 at the break. 

Cliftonville almost restored their two-goal advantage moments after the restart after Jonny Addis found Ronan Hale with a cross-field pass that he whistled past the post. 

The visitors continued to up the ante with Ronan Hale’s low cross cleared behind by Stephen O’Donnell. 

On 62 minutes, Conor McDermott was forced to concede a corner and from the resulting set-piece, the Reds did restore their advantage. 

Jamie McDonagh swung in the corner and Ryan Curran glanced home to make it 3-1 and score his sixth league goal of the campaign at the venue where he opened his account for the season on the opening day. 

But with little under a quarter of an hour remaining, Coleraine again halved the deficit and ensured a grandstand finish was on the cards. 

Josh Carson clipped in a cross from the left and Matthew Shevlin touched it home in the crowded area to make it 3-2 and reignite the hosts’ hopes of claiming a share of the spoils. 

Ronan Hale wasn’t far away with a dipping effort in response, but the Reds did wrap things up from the next attack. 

Joe Gormley raced onto a through ball down the channel and picked out Ronan Hale on the edge of the area, Hale opted to find Luke Turner on the overlap and his cross was headed home by substitute Gormley to ensure the three points would be heading back to Solitude. 

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, Jarvis, Mullan, McKendry (E McLaughlin 60’), Carson, O’Donnell (J McLaughlin 74’), Lynch, Glackin, McDermott, Shevlin. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Gartside, Lowe, Addis, Robinson, Turner, Gallagher, Doherty, Rory Hale (Gormley 84’), R Curran, McDonagh (C Curran 83’), Ronan Hale. 

REFEREE: Lee Tavinder