NIFL Premiership
Cliftonville 1-0 Ballymena United
CLIFTONVILLE returned to winning ways in the league with Ryan Curran striking to see off Ballymena United at Solitude on Saturday afternoon.
The Reds were rather subdued in the opening half and needed to rely on a couple of Luke McNicholas saves to see out United.
But they did improve after the break and made their pressure pay through Curran’s strike which escaped the grasp of Jordan Williamson to keep his side top of the table.
Cliftonville boss Paddy McLaughlin admitted the win was hard fought and believes their second half performance was much sharper than a “safe” first 45 minutes.
“It was hard fought, the first half especially,” reflected McLaughlin.
“We had to grind it out a bit and stay in the game. I think Ballymena were better than us in the first half for parts of it.
“Big Luke (McNicholas) has pulled off a couple of saves for us when called upon. We were glad to get in at half-time and reset ourselves and in the second half I thought we were brilliant.
“We played the ball a lot quicker, we got bodies forward a lot quicker and we created chances, which we didn’t do any of that at all in the first half.
“I think our game in the first half was very safe, we’d safe passes and we weren’t really committing players forward and it’s not like us at all. When we got back to what we do best in the second half, I think the difference turned the game in our favour.”
McLaughlin made one change from Tuesday night’s draw at Inver Park as Jamie McDonagh dropped to the bench at the expense of Aaron Donnelly.
Former Cliftonville midfielder Jude Winchester skewed an effort wide early doors and just after the quarter-hour mark, Lee Chapman’s cross was kept in at the back post by Ryan Waide and Kenneth Kane saw his shot blocked by the leg of Luke McNicholas.
An even better opportunity fell to the visitors midway through the half when Levi Ives turned a Waide effort off the line and Leroy Millar’s follow-up looked destined for the bottom corner, only for McNicholas to produce a stunning stop and turn it around the post at the expense of a corner.
Chris Curran gets out in front of Steven McCullough
Cliftonville were quiet and subdued in the opening 45 minutes, although Daniel Kearns sent a low cross which was stabbed behind by Conor Keeley and just before the break, Jonny Addis floated in a cross and Levi Ives downward header was claimed by Williamson as the half ended with the game goalless.
The hosts attempted to up the ante after the break, forcing three corners in succession before Ryan Curran tried his luck with an effort that was high over the bar.
On 52 minutes, a further corner from Chris Curran was batted down by Jordan Williamson and Daniel Kearns subsequent effort clipped the top of the bar on the way over.
Douglas Wilson deflected a dangerous Conor McDermott cross behind and just after the hour-mark, Ryan Curran felt his side should have been awarded a penalty when he deflected the ball onto the hand of Leroy Millar in the area, but referee Ross Dunlop wasn’t convinced.
The deadlock was eventually broken on 68 minutes and it was Cliftonville who made the breakthrough.
Chris Curran’s free-kick was glanced on by Joe Gormley and fell to Ryan Curran whose shot on the turn evaded the clutches of Jordan Williamson for his sixth league goal of the season.
Curran almost doubled his account with an effort from distance that came off the outside of the woodwork.
Ballymena United tried to throw the kitchen sink at Cliftonville in pursuit of a leveller and forced a corner in the last minute of injury-time.
Ross Redman hoisted it into a crowded area which included Sky Blues’ goalkeeper Jordan Williamson and the visitors had an appeal for a penalty when Douglas Wilson tumbled, but Ross Dunlop waved away the appeals and Paddy McLaughlin’s side held out for all three points.
CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, Lowe, Addis, Turner, Ives, C Curran, Gallagher, Donnelly (McDermott 46), Kearns (Harney 86), R Curran, Gormley (O’Neill 72).
BALLYMENA UNITED: Williamson, Chapman, Wilson, Winchester (Smith 83), McElroy, Waide (Redman 69), McCullough, Kane, Barr, Keeley, Millar.
REFEREE: Ross Dunlop
