NIFL Premiership

Cliftonville 2–1 Glenavon 

CLIFTONVILLE held onto top spot after two goals in the space of two minutes saw them come from behind to defeat Glenavon 2-1 at Solitude on Saturday afternoon. 

Josh Doyle took advantage of a goalkeeping error from Declan Dunne to give Glenavon the lead early in the second half, but Ryan Curran bundled home the equaliser with 10 minutes remaining and produced a magnificent second goal shortly after to keep his side on the Premiership summit. 

Reds boss Paddy McLaughlin admits he had some sympathy for opposite number Gary Hamilton after the Lurgan Blues' late collapse and praised both sides for their approach. 

“I’ve a bit of sympathy for Gary - only because I like him! He’s a good man and a brilliant football man,” McLaughlin acknowledged. 

“I’ve been on the receiving end of that a few times myself last year and it’s not nice. Whenever you feel like you’ve done enough to win the game, and not only do you not draw the game but lose, it’s definitely frustrating and it’s really bitterly disappointing, so I understand his disappointment. 

“Without being at our best, I thought it was a gritty performance.

“Glenavon were well set-up: they worked hard, they done everything that Gary would have asked of them, and they made it really difficult for us to build up any sort of momentum throughout the game - you give them all the credit in the world. 

“But on the flipside, you give our boys all the credit in the world as well because when a team does that to you and you still produce a win, it’s a brilliant trait to have in your locker.”

McLaughlin named the same starting 11 from their defeat to Ballymena United the previous Saturday and they were slow starters for the second Saturday running as Glenavon forced the first chance through a Peter Campbell free-kick that was curled over the wall, but Declan Dunne came to collect. 

It took the Reds until midway through the half to fashion their first real opportunity, but Jamie McDonagh flashed a free-kick inches past the post with James Taylor beaten. 

A few minutes later, Ryan Curran slipped the ball through to Joe Gormley to forge his way through. The striker advanced but his shot took a deflection and was easily gathered by Taylor. 

The hosts had the ball in the net just after the half hour mark as Ryan Curran released Rory Hale whose shot across the face of goal was tapped home by Joe Gormley, but the offside flag immediately put an end to the celebrations much to the frustration of Paddy McLaughlin’s side. 

Glenavon had the chance to take the lead before the break when Kyle Beggs floated a free-kick to the back post and Mark Stafford glanced inches wide as it remained goalless at the interval. 

The deadlock was broken early in the second half at Solitude and it’s one that Declan Dunne will want to forget as his rushed clearance fell straight to Josh Doyle who fired home to give the Lurgan Blues the lead. 

Cliftonville tried to hit back immediately as Jamie McDonagh’s short corner was thumped clear and Rory Hale floated a second cross in, with Aaron Donnelly flashing a chance high over the bar. 

Two minutes later, a long ball released Joe Gormley who was stopped in his tracks by a hand-ball from Sean Ward. The defender looked to have been the last man back, but referee Keith Kennedy only opted for a yellow card and the resulting free-kick from Aaron Donnelly was straight down the throat of Taylor. 

Just before the hour-mark, Peter Campbell produced an inch-perfect cross into the area and Matthew Fitzpatrick skewed the resulting effort over the bar - a gilt-edged the chance the visitors may come to rue later in the game. 

Cliftonville continued to chase down the leveller, but Joe Gormley hammered a low shot wide of the target after Jonny Addis did well to hoist the ball into the danger area. Jamie McDonagh then curled a free-kick over the wall but too high to trouble James Taylor. 

With 10 minutes remaining, the equaliser arrived when Chris Curran crossed the ball in and Ryan Curran’s gamble paid off as he bundled it in at the near post to restore parity. 

The winner would arrive two minutes later and it was the same duo that combined once more. 

Chris Curran played a delightful ball to release his namesake who took a touch to control and then took aim with a shot that flew past James Taylor and high into the top corner to blow the roof off Solitude.  

Curran’s strikes looked to have been cancelled out in injury-time when Danny Wallace’s flick-on to Mark Stafford was bundled into the net by Aaron Donnelly for an own-goal, but the celebrations were premature once again as the linesman’s flag stopped the Lurgan Blues celebrations in its tracks. 

The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the aftermath as midfielder Matthew Snoddy was dismissed for confronting referee Keith Kennedy and Gary Hamilton’s men were unable to force the issue in the remaining for minutes as Cliftonville held on for victory. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Dunne, Lowe, Turner, Addis, Donnelly, Gallagher (C Curran 65), Doherty, Hale (O’Neill 73), McDonagh (Kearns 81), R Curran, Gormley. 

GLENAVON: Taylor, Stafford, Birney, Campbell, Beggs (McCloskey 73), Snoddy, Fitzpatrick, Wallace, Doyle, Garrett (Singleton 89), Ward (O’Mahoney 88). 

REFEREE: Keith Kennedy