NIFL Premiership

Larne 0-0 Cliftonville 

LARNE and Cliftonville were forced to share the spoils after a drab 0-0 draw at Inver Park on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts will look back and wonder how they didn’t make the most of their first half opportunities with Aaron McCarey keeping the Inver Reds at bay and Ryan O’Reilly clearing off the line in either half.

Cliftonville boss Paddy McLaughlin said the draw was the fairest outcome for both sides and doesn’t believe either will be too disappointed. 

“It was an even contest; I think the score-line tells you what you need to know,” he said. 

“Both sides cancelled each other out, both created a couple of half chances - I don’t think anything too clear cut. We’ve hit the bar with a chance and they’ve had a couple of balls flashed across the six-yard box. Coming out with a draw, we’re not too disappointed and I’m sure Larne won’t be either. I think a draw was probably a fair result.”

McLaughlin made two changes to the side that beat Glenavon 2-1 last weekend.

Ryan O’Reilly returned after suspension along with Ronan Doherty, whilst Daniel Kearns and Paul O’Neill dropped to the bench. 

Larne had the first opportunity inside of six minutes as Lee Lynch hung up a cross which was powerfully headed away by Ryan O’Reilly with Graham Kelly lurking.

At the other end, Aaron Donnelly tried to catch out Conor Devlin with an audacious free-kick that was a yard over the bar.

Former Cliftonville right-back Tomas Cosgrove then jinked his way into the box and pulled the ball across to Kelly who unable to steer it home with O’Reilly making a timely clearance on the line.

Cliftonville almost broke instantly at the other end with Rory Hale picking out Dairen O’Connor from a long ball down the line and O’Connor found Ryan Curran in the area whose volley came back off the woodwork.

Ronan Hale flashed a volley past the post just before the midway point, while O’Reilly headed wide at the back post from a corner from Rory Hale.

Larne upped the ante in the last 15 minutes of the opening half and should have really made the breakthrough.

Jeff Hughes slipped in Ronan Hale whose effort drew a fabulous stop from Aaron McCarey. The Reds’ shot-stopper repelled a John Herron effort from the edge of the area and Graham Kelly shot wide from Andrew Mitchell’s cross moments later.

McCarey was forced to deny Hale again before the break and Marty Donnelly floated a cross past the post in the aftermath.

In added time, a rare Cliftonville break saw Rory Hale slip the ball to O’Connor who found Chris Curran in space, but Curran failed to test Devlin in the Larne goal and it remained scoreless at the break in Inver Park.

Ronan Doherty had the first opportunity of the second half but his shot was a few inches over the bar.

On the hour-mark, Larne substitute David McDaid almost made an instant impact, but Ryan O’Reilly made a second goal-line clearance of the game.

Ronan Hale dragged a shot wide of the target in the last 20 minutes as the home side pushed for the opener and Hale had a further chance before his departure but shot straight down the throat of McCarey after a smart Martin Donnelly move.

Cliftonville were a threat on the break in the closing stages and substitute Daniel Kearns whipped in a dangerous cross that Devlin dealt with. 

Rory Hale was forced into a vital interception on the edge of the area ahead of Martin Donnelly, although his clearance fell to Jeff Hughes whose volley flashed past the post with the last real chance of a scoreless draw in East Antrim. 

LARNE: Devlin, Robinson, Kelly, Watson, Cosgrove, Hughes, Herron, Hale (McMurray 82), Donnelly, Lynch (McDaid 56), Mitchell.

CLIFTONVILLE: McCarey, Lowe, Horney, O’Reilly, Donnelly, C Curran (O’Neill 65), Bagnall, Doherty, Hale, O’Connor (Kearns 73), R Curran.

REFEREE: Ian McNabb