NIFL Premiership

Cliftonville 1–2 Glentoran 

TWO errors from David Odumosu saw Glentoran complete a comeback in the north of the city for the second time in eight days as they defeated Cliftonville 2-1 at Solitude on Saturday afternoon. 

Joe Gormley headed the hosts in front on the half-hour mark, but Glens goalkeeper Daniel Gyollai saw his free-kick bounce over Odumosu and to the net on the stroke of half-time. 

The Reds shot-stopper then let Daniel Amos curling free kick go through him with 12 minutes remaining as Glentoran sealed three comeback points for the second game running.

Cliftonville assistant manager Gerard Lyttle was again deputising for suspended manager Jim Magilton, who will return to action for the St Stephen’s Day derby with Crusaders on Thursday, and Lyttle bemoaned the mistakes that cost his side dearly. 

“It’s two mistakes that’s cost us the game, unfortunately,” he admitted. 

“When it is an outfield player that makes a mistake, you maybe get away with one or two behind him, but when it’s a goalkeeper, you don’t have the same joys of that. There is nobody pointing the finger, but it is two mistakes that have cost us the game."

Jim Magilton made three changes to the side that were beaten 2-0 at Portadown last weekend. 

Jonny Addis and Conor Pepper both missed out through suspension and a viral infection meant that Ronan Doherty wasn’t available with Michael Newberry, Axel Piesold and Harry Wilson coming into the starting XI. 

Glens’ wing-back Daniel Amos shot wide from a low free-kick inside the opening two minutes in what was an otherwise stop-start affair at blustery Solitude. 

It was Cliftonville who forced the first promising opening when Harry Wilson fed Joe Gormley and he whipped in a cross that fell to Taylor Steven at the back post, though Glens goalkeeper Daniel Gyollai blocked at the expense of a corner. 

Just prior to the half-hour mark, Cliftonville made the breakthrough. Taylor-Steven dug out a cross and Joe Gormley stooped to head home past the post to make it 1-0. 

Less than 60 seconds later Steven picked out Gormley again, but this time his header was held by Gyollai. 

The hosts were perhaps fortunate to escape conceding a penalty after Odhran Casey caught David Fisher in the area. However, referee Tim Marshall was unmoved. 

Cliftonville should have doubled their lead before the break when Ryan Curran fed Micheál Glynn on the overlap and his ball across the face of goal evaded the onrushing danger. 

It was an opportunity they would rue as Glentoran drew level on the stroke of half-time. Daniel Gyollai’s long-range free-kick sailed over the head of Casey and attacking forward Dylan Connolly in the wind with a fatal slip for Odumosu, seeing the ball sail over his head and into the net to make it 1-1 at the break.  

Glentoran were first to threaten after the break with David Odumosu pushing a Daniel Amos free-kick behind at the expense of a corner. 

In the 62nd minute, Taylor-Steven thought he had nipped in and restored his side’s lead, only for Kodi Lyons-Foster to clear off the line. 

Substitute Wassim Aouachira had a glorious chance to give his side the lead five minutes after his introduction though he shot wide from an acute angle. 

The winner arrived in the 78th minute after Odhran Casey conceded a free-kick on the edge of the box and Daniel Amos curled a low free-kick through Odumosu and into the net to complete a second league comeback in North Belfast in the space of 8-days. 

Cliftonville were reduced to 10 men late in the game. Already on a booking for conceding the free kick that led to the eventual winner, Odhran Casey chopped down David Fisher after referee Marshall failed to whistle and acknowledge his linesman flagging for Cliftonville throw-in. 

Tempers frayed and Casey was given his marching orders as Cliftonville lost a player for the third league game running and he will miss Thursday’s derby with Crusaders at Seaview. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Kearney, Newberry, Casey, Glynn, Wilson, Piesold (Corrigan 84’), Hale, Steven (Madden 72’), Curran (Pettifer 89’), Gormley. 

GLENTORAN: Gyollai, Lyons-Foster, Kane, Hvid, Sule, Connolly (Aouachria 61’), Fisher, Amos, Singleton, Jenkins (Russell 84’), Douglas (Palmer 61’). 

REFEREE: Tim Marshall