NIFL Premiership
Glenavon 0-1 Cliftonville 

CLIFTONVILLE made it six games without defeat and moved a one point further clear in second place with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Glenavon at Mourneview Park on Friday evening. 

Despite hitting the crossbar within the first five minutes, the Reds were second best in the opening half and made Glenavon pay for their inability to take advantage when Rory Hale scored the game’s only goal early in the second period. 

Jim Magilton’s charges hit the woodwork a further three times over the course of the evening, but he was relieved to come away with all three points, on a night when he acknowledged they weren’t at their best. 

“We started bright and the keeper [Rory Brown] makes a fantastic save right at the beginning of the game,” he said.

“We got out of the blocks quickly for about five minutes and then Glenavon dominated.

“I thought Glenavon played extremely well given that it was their third game in about six or seven days. They attacked the game very well and Stephen [McDonnell] played a very attacking formation. He was very brave in his starting three if you like, his front three and they deserve immense credit. 

“We were second best in the first half. We needed half time to come more than they did, and we needed to sort one or two things out. Certainly, in the second half we started the game better. Created one or two opportunities. Scored a great goal and on another day, Ben scores a hat-trick and Joe missed one or two opportunists as well when he was one v one with the keeper. 

“Rory Brown had an excellent night and overall, I’m delighted with another clean sheet. We had to show real grit and determination tonight because they were good. They played very well, they made us work for it. We weren’t at our best, there is no question about that, but a sign of a good side is to win when you’re not and we did that and saw the game out.

“We can manage the game better, but again you have to give the opposition credit. They hustled, harried us, and made us make some decisions that on another night might have gone their way. 

“Tonight, we just showed a different side and different character. I would say it our most pleasing win since I’ve come in, no question about that. To win 1-0 away, to come to Glenavon and have to roll our sleeves up against a Glenavon side that were excellent on the night.”

Peter Campbell with Shea Kearney
2Gallery

Peter Campbell with Shea Kearney

Magilton made one enforced change from the starting eleven that defeated Dungannon Swifts six days previous. 

Sean Stewart was unavailable due to an international call-up and Reece Jordan was drafted in for his competitive debut. 

The visitors almost made the breakthrough within the opening 60 seconds as Ben Wilson reached a through ball ahead of Rory Brown and despite re-routing away from goal to keep the ball in play, Wilson cut the ball back to Joe Gormley whose shot clipped the crossbar with Brown beaten. 

Glenavon recovered from their shaky opening and began to threaten at the other with Robbie Garrett calling David Odumosu into action. 

Jack Malone unleashed two curling efforts over the bar in quick succession and Luke Turner then failed to cut out a Glenavon corner and Isaac Baird was unable to profit as Odhran Casey scrambled his goal bound effort off the line as it remained scoreless at the interval. 

Cliftonville started the second half strongly and like the opening half, the crossbar denied them making the early breakthrough. 

Stephen Teggart’s clearance was met by Chris Gallagher at the halfway line, and he played a through ball into the path of Ben Wilson who in turn slipped the ball to Rory Hale whose shot cannoned back off the bar. 

The breakthrough would arrive in the 50th minute at Mourneview Park. Shea Kearney outmuscled Jack Malone and his magnificent cross field pass sent Hale scampering clear. The midfielder advanced into the area before rifling low past Rory Brown to score his fourth league goal of the season. 

Joe Gormley should have doubled the advantage moments later, but Rory Brown denied the frontman with his foot before the woodwork denied Cliftonville for the third time within the opening hour. 

This time Ben Wilson latched onto Ronan Doherty’s punted pass and wrong-footed Danny Wallace and Conor Kerr before letting fly with a low shot that struck the post and the offside flag denied Joe Gormley from potentially turning home the rebound. 

Wilson would slam a further effort off the post in the closing stages and Sean Ward needed to be alert, diverting Shea Kearney’s dangerous ball across the face of goal behind for a corner. 

Glenavon’s pushed for a late share of the spoils, Rory Brown sent a free kick from halfway in towards the area and a flick on almost picked out Danny Wallace at the back post, but Luke Turner did enough to ensure Wallace was unable to turn the ball home as Hale’s goal proved the difference at the conclusion. 

GLENAVON: Brown, Snoddy, Malone, Campbell, Quinn (Kerr 56’), Baird, McCloskey (Prendergast 84’), Teggart (Henderson 80’), Wallace, Garrett (Mulvenna 80’), Ward. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Kearney, Addis, Casey, Turner, Jordan, Gallagher, Doherty, Rory Hale (C Curran75’), Wilson (Ronan Hale 83’), Gormley (Ashford 83’). 

REFEREE: Ben McMaster