NIFL Premiership

Cliftonville 1–0 Dungannon Swifts 

JOE Gormley’s second-half goal was enough to see off a determined Dungannon Swifts as Cliftonville made it three wins from three at Solitude on Tuesday evening. 

Scoreless at the break, the Swifts shaded the encounter up until Gormley pounced after the hour-mark to ensure a faultless side and an ugly win the eyes of boss Jim Magilton. 

“Ultimately, it’s about winning the game and getting three points,” he reflected.  

“We secured three points tonight doing it ugly and very difficult, but again you have to credit the opposition. They never make life easy for us at all.

“I’ve always thought they are an outstanding football team and they proved to be the case again tonight. 

“We had to dig in and be resolute; we had to make changes as well in terms of early substitutions. This group is getting used to each other. 

“We made one or two late additions to the squad and that’s always going to take a little bit of time for transition. Overall, obviously I’m pleased with the points, but we need to do better.”

Magilton made two changes from the weekend win at Glenavon. Shea Kearney dropped out through injury as Kris Lowe made his first start of the campaign and Rory Donnelly returned from a hamstring complaint in place of Ryan Curran who dropped to the bench. 

Dungannon Swifts were first to threaten from a Keelan Dillon corner that was headed into the arms of David Odumosu by Adam Glenny. 

At the other end, Rory Donnelly intercepted Sean Stewart’s through pass but couldn’t lift it high enough over former team-mate Declan Dunne in the Swifts goal. 

The Swifts forced a number of corners in the opening half and after Dillon had another set-piece half cleared, Cahal McGinty let fly with an effort from the edge of the box that Luke Conlon blocked. 

On the half hour mark, the visitors hit the woodwork following a superb pass by former Reds’ winger Thomas Maguire that picked out Leo Alves in the area and his close-range attempt crashed off the bar on its way behind. 

Declan Dunne needed to be alert to deny Joe Gormley with a header at the other end and substitute Ryan Markey went closest for the Solitude side before the break. 

After replacing Rory Donnelly, Markey was slipped in by Shea Gordon and his delicate dink looked to be heading for the corner of the net only to go inches past the post and cleared behind for a corner. 

In injury time, Leo Alves lifted a free-kick over the wall and at Odumosu, while Ronan Doherty’s free kick fell to Jonny Addis at the back post, and he guided a shot wide as the half ended goalless. 

David Odumosu had to touch a Steven Scott cross behind for a corner in the opening minutes of the second half as the Swifts remained a threat, but Declan Dunne was forced to parry a Gormley effort at the other after Shea Gordon latched onto a misplaced pass in midfield. 

Just after the hour mark, Sean Stewart dropped in a corner that Jonny Addis and Ryan Markey failed to turn home. 

The deadlock was broken in the 64th minute and fell to Cliftonville. Shea Gordon played a one-two with Kris Lowe and drilled a shot across the face of goal that Declan Dunne could only to parry to Joe Gormley whose shot found the net despite the best attempts of Cahal McGinty on the post. 

Dungannon almost hit back with 20 minutes remaining after Leo Alves cross found the head of Niall Owens and the substitute’s header was clawed out by Odumosu. 

As time ticked on, Steven Scott drove forward and let fly with a shot that just evaded Owens in the area. That opportunity was sandwiched between a curling Ronan Doherty effort that flashed past the post and an injury-time Ryan Markey shot off target as Gormley’s goal proved the difference at the conclusion. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Newberry, Addis, Conlon, Lowe (Leppard 66’), Pepper (Piesold 46’), Doherty, Gordon, Stewart (Ojo 76’), Donnelly (Markey 28’), Gormley (Curran 76’). 

DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Dunne, S Scott, Curry, Knowles (McAleese 81’), McGovern (Galvin 46’), Dillon (J Scott 87’), Alves (Hutchinson 81’), Glenny, McGinty, Maguire (Owens 70’), Bigirimana. 

REFEREE: Christopher Morrison