NIFL Premiership

Crusaders 1–1 Cliftonville 

THE first North Belfast derby of the season finished honours even as Crusaders and Cliftonville played out a 1-1 draw at Seaview on Saturday afternoon. 

Ryan Curran gave Cliftonville the lead from the spot just after the half hour mark, but a rapid response from Crusaders man of the moment Kieran Offord secured a share of the points for the Hatchet-men in an entertaining derby. 

Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton felt it was an exciting game of football but rued the quick succession of an equaliser just minutes after taking the lead. 

“To be fair, I thought it was a really good game of football,” he reflected. 

“I thought that both teams tried to play and for a spectacle - it was end to end. It was a bit of a basketball match at times and a little bit sloppy at times. In the important moments, we score a penalty; we talk about how you start a game and after you score a goal - those are crucial moments. 

“How you end the half, how you start the half and how you finish the game. It was really disappointing to concede so quickly after we scored. From that point of view, I’m not happy but overall, I thought it was a really good game of football and entertaining. On another day we probably could have scored one or two more.”

Both sides made changes from their midweek victories with Jordan Forsythe coming in for Harry Jewitt-White, whilst Jim Magilton made three changes to his starting XI as Ryan Curran, Shaun Leppard and Axel Piesold came in. Rory Donnelly missed out through injury and Conor Pepper and Sean Stewart dropped to the bench. 

The derby started at a frantic pace as Shaun Leppard slid in to deny Philip Lowry within the opening 60 seconds and Axel Piesold then strode forward and unleashed a low effort from range that Jonny Tuffey dealt with easily. 

Cliftonville had the first half chance when Joe Gormley knocked the ball down for Luke Conlon whose shot was deflected behind for a corner and after the set-piece was partially cleared, Shaun Leppard curled over the bar from the edge of the box. 

The hosts then went close after Jordan Stewart dispossessed Jonny Addis and slipped in Kieran Offord, David Odumosu closed down the angle and turned away his shot with Stewart’s follow-up hitting the foot of Odumosu before being scrambled to safety.  

Crusaders had a half shout for a penalty when Jonny Addis caught Offord and the ball ran through to Odumosu, but referee Tony Clarke was unmoved. 

He would point to the spot at the other end in the 31st minute after Lewis Barr clattered into Joe Gormley on the edge of the box. 

Ryan Curran took responsibility despite missing on the opening day against Portadown and made no mistake, sending Tuffey the wrong way to score his second of the campaign. 

It was a lead that would last a mere two minutes though as Crusaders showed their powers of recovery. 

On-loan St Mirren striker Kieran Offord continued his sensational start to the season after rolling Jonny Addis and steering a low shot into the corner for his third in three games as the derby was perfectly poised at the interval. 

Crusaders began the second period on the front foot. Jacob Blaney thumped a low effort that Odumosu held onto and minutes later they turned defence to attack as Jordan Stewart picked out Offord with a cross-field ball and he turned Axel Piesold in the area only to see his shot superbly turned around the post and behind from Odumosu. 

Ryan Curran scores his penalty
2Gallery

Ryan Curran scores his penalty

The majority of the second half was an open affair without clear-cut chances until the conclusion. 

Jarlath O’Rourke teed up Jordan Forsythe from a free-kick and Forsythe let fly with an effort that Odumosu clawed over the bar and behind for a corner. 

Cliftonville thought they had clinched all three-points in stoppage time when substitute Destiny Ojo let fly with a curling shot from the edge of the box and Jonny Tuffey turned the ball behind for a corner. 

In the end, the spoils were shared at Seaview and both sides came out of the contest with their unbeaten starts intact. 

Speaking afterwards, Crusaders boss Declan Caddell felt the draw was probably a fair result over the course of the afternoon. 

“The longer the game goes on, you have in the back of your head going- would you settle for a point or do you wang to push?” Caddell recalled. 

“Both teams had opportunities come the end of the game, it just didn’t happen. I think reflecting on the 90 minutes, a draw was probably a fair result.”

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Weir, Lowry, Stewart (Jewitt-White), Blaney, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Offord (Owens 88’), Larmour, Franklin (Nixon 73’), Barr. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Newberry, Addis, Leppard, Lowe (Stewart 64’), Conlon, Gordon (Corrigan 82’), Doherty, Piesold (Pepper 64’), Curran (Markey 64’), Gormley (Ojo 82’). 

REFEREE: Tony Clarke