NIFL Premiership

Cliftonville 1-0 Portadown 

DESPITE seeing his earlier penalty saved, Ryan Curran atoned for his miss and sealed all three points for Cliftonville in their 1-0 win against Portadown at Solitude on Sunday afternoon. 

It was Curran’s first Premiership appearance since May 2023s play-off final defeat to Glentoran at the Oval, with an underlying groin injury and subsequent operation keeping him out for the best part of 14 months. 

Reds’ manager Jim Magilton was pleased to see the 30-year-old return and believes his contribution to the cause can’t be underestimated. 

“In terms of Ryan Curran coming back, he was outstanding given that he has been a year out of the game,” said Magilton. 

“His contribution can’t be underestimated. His presence and his quality and stamp of quality on the team is very important for us. I’m very pleased.”

With Joe Gormley on the bench and stand-in captains Jonny Addis and Rory Hale injured, Magilton opted to hand the captaincy to Curran for the afternoon as the Irish Cup winners looked to begin their league campaign on a winning note. 

They started brightly in the Solitude sunshine and were afforded the opportunity to hit the front after Curran was adjudged to have been clipped by Lewis MacKinnon in the area and referee Ben McMaster pointed to the spot. 

Sharp from the spot, Curran took responsibility, but his dream moment was scuppered by former team-mate Aaron McCarey who dove low to his right and kept out Curran’s low effort. 

The hosts continued to push for the opener against the newly promoted Ports and Ronan Doherty was inches away from breaking the deadlock with a sweet strike from the edge of the box that cannoned off the post. 

That didn’t deter the Derry native and moments later he swept an excellent pass to the back post where Rory Donnelly knocked it across for Curran to slide home and score his first goal since the play-off semi-final win over Coleraine prior to his layoff and it was the difference at the interval. 

Cliftonville picked up where they left off before the break as McCarey denied substitute Joe Gormley from doubling the advantage and Gormley saw a further effort clip the crossbar from another fine Doherty cross. 

The chances were piling up and following Shea Kearney’s cross and Joe Gormley’s knock-down, Curran saw his goal-bound attempt parried by McCarey. 

With 20 minutes to go, Portadown almost scrambled home an equaliser from a corner that David Odumosu failed to gather, but Cathair Friel was unable to take advantage. 

In injury-time, Aaron Traynor sent in a cross that Michael Newberry appeared to be dealing with, only for recently released Reds’ winger Jamie McDonagh to tee up Luke McCullough for a shot that Odumosu tipped around the post and behind for a corner. 

Anxiety levels were high in the closing stages and the Shamrock Park outfit would have a further opportunity to salvage a share of the spoils from a free kick on the edge of the box with added time played. 

Shay McCartan and Luke McCullough stood over the set-piece with McCartan cannoning his attempt into the wall and the danger was scrambled clear as Cliftonville saw the game out to open their campaign with a hard-fought win. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Kearney, Newberry, Conlon, Leppard, Stewart, Doherty, Gordon (Piesold 78’), Pepper, Donnelly (Gormley 53’), Curran (Berry 89’). 

PORTADOWN: McCarey, D Wilson, MacKinnon, L Wilson (Friel 63’), Chapman, Mayse (Traynor 72’), McCullough, Fyfe (McDonagh 84’), Mullan (Henderson 72’), McCartan, Thompson. 

REFEREE: Ben McMaster