NIFL Premiership
Cliftonville 2–0 Coleraine
CLIFTONVILLE maintained their four-point gap with league leaders Glentoran after running out 2-0 winners over Coleraine at Solitude on Saturday afternoon.
After a scoreless first half, a quickfire double from Ryan Curran saw off the Bannsiders to ensure that Cliftonville remain in the title picture and move to within a point of Linfield in second place.
Cliftonville boss Paddy McLaughlin felt his side produced a ‘professional performance’ and was full of praise for Coleraine goalkeeper Gareth Deane for producing some outstanding saves over the course of the 90 minutes.
“It was definitely a professional performance,” he reflected.
“I thought in the first half we were really good and really dominant.
“Big Gareth Deane was superb for Coleraine and even in the second half he was excellent. He made some great saves, and, on another day, we could have scored a couple more.
“In that sense it looks as if it was probably comfortable, but it is never comfortable against Coleraine because they’re a good side.
“They’ve really good players and wee (Conor) McKendry was always lively and they made a couple of changes late-on in the game; they put on a couple of extra forwards so anything can happen.
“They’ve got quality that can hurt you in Jamie Glackin, but I thought the boys were very professional and very accomplished in what they had to do. The back four were excellent, the midfield was landing a lot of second balls and if it wasn’t for big Deane in goals, I think our forwards all could have scored at some stage.”
Rory Hale in actin with Stephen Lowry
McLaughlin made three changes from their midweek victory over Carrick Rangers at the Loughview Leisure Arena.
Rory Hale returned to the starting 11 for the first time since early January along with Luke Turner and Daniel Kearns at the expense of Conor McDermott, Colin Coates and Paul O’Neill.
Cliftonville had the first opportunity after Daniel Kearns threaded a through ball to Jamie McDonagh whose shot was turned behind by Gareth Deane.
A Conor McKendry corner was dropped into the six-yard box at the other end and caused panic with shouts of handball ignored. Eventually, a further corner followed but nothing was forthcoming.
McDonagh tried another effort from distance that called Deane into action and midway through the half, Josh Carson saw his low drive turned around the post by Luke McNicholas.
Gareth Deane denied Jamie McDonagh for a third time with little over half an hour gone. Kris Lowe knocked it into the path of the winger, but Deane parried, and Daniel Kearns blasted wide.
Opposite goalkeeper McNicholas easily gathered from Lyndon Kane at the other end and just before the break, Ronan Doherty curled a shot wide of the post as it remained scoreless at the interval.
The deadlock was broken three minutes after the restart: Jonny Addis’ clearance from defence fell to Jamie McDonagh who picked out Kris Lowe out wide; Lowe crossed into the box and Ryan Curran turned it home from six yards out to make it 1-0.
A Curran goal usually ensures that Cliftonville avoid defeat at the very least and their chances of victory were boosted by a second goal within four minutes.
Curran and McDonagh interchanged with the goal-scorer slipping the ball to Doherty in the area. The in-form midfielder popped the ball across and McDonagh’s deft flick was dispatched to the net by Curran for his second of the afternoon.
Jamie McDonagh with Aaron Traynor
Things almost went from bad to worse for Coleraine when substitute Joe Gormley did well to keep the ball in and pick out Curran in the area, but Gareth Deane denied the Strabane native his hat-trick.
Things may have turned out differently had Conor McKendry met a Jamie Glackin cross in-between the goals and midway through the second half Glackin crossed into the area and Stephen Lowry’s header flicked off the post.
Paddy McLaughlin’s side missed the chance to extend their lead late-on as Jamie McDonagh saw a dinked effort clip the crossbar and Gareth Deane made a smart save to deny Gormley.
In the end it mattered little as Cliftonville ran out comfortable winners to stay within four points of pace setters Glentoran and move a point behind Linfield in second place.
CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, Lowe, Addis, Turner, Ives, Doherty, Gallagher, Hale (Gormley 54’), McDonagh (O’Neill 88’), Kearns (C Curran 72’), R Curran.
COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, Brown, Jarvis (Allen 62’), McKendry, Lowry, Carson, O’Donnell, Glackin, Traynor (Bradley 78’), Shevlin (McLaughlin 63’).
REFEREE: Keith Kennedy
