NIFL Premiership
Cliftonville 0-1 Linfield

CHRIS McKee struck late to snatch a huge win for Linfield at Cliftonville on Friday night.

After a scoreless opening half, the Reds began to put the league-leaders under pressure, but substitute McKee capitalised on Luke Turner’s attempted header back to go and nipped in to seal all three points for David Healy’s side to give them an eight-point cushion at the league summit.

The result also ends Cliftonville’s six-game unbeaten run in the league as they fall further behind Linfield who have now established a commanding lead at the top of the table.

Reds’ boss Jim Magilton was pleased with what he saw from his side over the course of the evening and rued the cruel nature of the game in Turner’s mistake that led to McKee’s winner.

“I was very pleased and proud of our performance,” he said.

“They are league leaders and they have been so good constant over so many years. We were good. Were we fantastic? No, but on a very difficult night to play I thought we moved the ball at times really well.

“We created some great opportunities. I thought we were on the front foot from the get-go, we just didn’t get our just rewards tonight and that is the cruel nature of this game. Especially playing against real quality.

“We wait on chances, and we weren’t able to take them, tonight they waited on one chance and Luke [Turner] who I thought had been terrific all night- just gets under the ball and unfortunately it falls to Chris McKee who finishes very well.”

Magilton named the same side that defeated Glenavon 1-0 seven days previous as Reece Jordan retained his place at left-back due to Sean Stewart picking up an injury on international duty.

Cliftonville carved out the first half chance when Ben Wilson was slipped through and tried to pull the ball across the face of goal, only for Chris Shields to turn behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

The Blues first sighting arrived after youngster Shea Kearney coughed up possession, but  Matthew Clarke was unable to profit, firing a snapshot into the side netting.

Odhran Casey was then forced to turn behind a low Matthew Fitzpatrick cross at the expense of a corner. The set piece was half cleared before Kirk Millar floated in a cross that Fitzpatrick glanced wide.

A slack pass from Euan East put goalkeeper Chris Johns under pressure and Ben Wilson successfully closed the Blues keeper down and tried to supply a cross that appeared to strike the arm of Euan East, but referee Shane Andrews and his officials were unconvinced.

Linfield almost forged ahead in the first half injury time, Kirk Millar crossed for Fitzpatrick who returned the ball into his path and the winger lifted his shot high and wide of the target and the half ended scoreless.

Cliftonville began the second period brightly with Gormley miscuing his header from Kearney’s cross before Reece Jordan picked out Rory Hale in the area and Chris Johns parried.

Linfield were then caught napping from a quickly taken free kick and Jordan Euan East was forced to scramble the ball off the line and away from danger.

Chris Johns dealt with a hooked effort from Joe Gormley and then made an incredible save from Rory Hale’s audacious attempt that looked to be dipping in until the goalkeeper turned it over the bar.

Midway through the second half the hosts best chance arrived when Ben Wilson kept the ball in play and played a one-two with Reece Jordan, who was taken out by Michael Newberry, Wilson advanced and his low shot crashed off the base of the post and hit Johns.

The Reds were made to pay for their lack of cutting edge when Reece Jordan picked out the overlapping run of Luke Turner and his cut back towards Ronan Hale was turned away at the nick of time by East.

Ben Wilson reacts to his shot coming off the post
2Gallery

Ben Wilson reacts to his shot coming off the post

Linfield turned defence to attack, and Chris Johns long punt wasn’t dealt with by Turner, who headed the ball back towards David Odumosu, allowing substitute Chris McKee to pounce and lift the ball over the on-loan keeper and into the net to give the league-leaders the advantage.

Ronan Hale lifted a shot over the bar a few minutes later as Cliftonville chased down an equaliser.

Substitute Stephen Mallon looked likeliest in his 10-minute cameo, his low cross was cut out by Matthew Clarke and the resulting short corner between Doherty and Chris Gallagher was played into the area and just evaded Jonny Addis.

In the end, Linfield saw the game out to extend their lead at the top of the table to eight-points, with Cliftonville still remaining in second place ahead of champions Larne courtesy of their superior goal difference.
 
CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Kearney, Addis, Casey, Turner, Jordan, Gallagher, Doherty, Rory Hale (Mallon 83’), Wilson, Gormley (Ronan Hale 70’).
 
LINFIELD: Johns, East, Newberry, Shields, Millar, (McBrien 76’), McClean, Cooper, Hall, Clarke, Mulgrew, Fitzpatrick (McKee 71’).
 
REFEREE: Shane Andrews