NIFL Premiership

Cliftonville 3-0 Carrick Rangers  

CLIFTONVILLE climbed into seventh spot in the table with a comfortable 3-0 win over Carrick Rangers at Solitude on Saturday afternoon. 

Shea Gordon broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time and a scrappy Ryan Curran goal gave them some breathing space after the break before Alex Parsons completed the scoring late-on after his penalty was initially kept out by Jack McIntyre in the Rangers goal. 

Reds boss Jim Magilton felt his side didn’t create enough in the opening half, but was pleased that the second-half display improved and he was able to give his youngsters game time. 

“It was hugely disappointing not to have been in the top six - that is the downside to all of this,” Magilton acknowledged. 

“As a group, we are extremely disappointed. Today we had to deal with whatever came our way but we talked about getting on the front foot, playing and applying pressure onto Carrick - I thought we did that from the first whistle. 

“If there were any negatives from today, especially in the first half, we didn't work their goalkeeper enough. He didn't have to make enough saves and our crosses into the box lacked a little bit of quality. 

“We scored a wonderful goal and that changes the landscape of all conversations at half time. We knew that if we could control the game, control possession then we could create opportunities and we did that. 

“Getting the young lads on and getting players minutes was very important to us. We got five bodies on, which needed minutes and was important- and now we look forward to the semi-final.”

Magilton made two changes from the XI that were held to a 2-2 draw at Coleraine in midweek: Odhran Casey and Alex Parsons dropped out with Harry Wilson and Shea Gordon coming in. 

Visitors Carrick Rangers almost made the breakthrough when Luke McCullough slipped a pass through to Danny Gibson who beat the offside trap and bore down on goal, but Lewis Ridd denied the striker with his foot at the expense of a corner, which was cleared. 

Conor Pepper sent a cross into the box and a combination of Gers keeper Jack McIntyre and Albert Watson did enough to clear the danger, and a few minutes later Shea Gordon’s corner dropped to Jack Keaney who could only glance wide of the target. 

One of the bigger talking points of the opening half arrived after 20 minutes when Carrick goalkeeper McIntyre shoved a ballboy behind the goal, but neither referee Mark Dillon or any of his officials spotted the incident that could well have yielded a red card. 

Chances were at a premium until the later stages when Nedas Maciulaitis’ snapshot was parried by Lewis Ridd, while Jack Keaney’s slipped pass ran beyond Gormley and into the hands of McIntyre at the edge of the area. 

On the stroke of half-time, Axel Piesold whipped in a cross that Gormley glanced on, yet it flashed past the outstretched foot of Shea Gordon at the back post. 

The duo would combine before the break and this time the result was more positive when Gormley flicked into Gordon’s path and the midfielder curled the ball into the bottom corner to break Carrick’s resistance at the interval. 

Cliftonville picked up where they left off at the break and should have doubled their lead when Shea Gordon’s free-kick arrived to Sean Stewart whose header was tipped over by McIntyre. 

They would double their lead in the 55th minute. Gordon did well to attack the Rangers box and play in Curran whose initial shot was blocked but he was able to poke the ball home scrappily to make it 2-0. 

Axel Piesold tried his luck before the hour mark, but it was deflected behind and the resulting corner came to nothing. 

Midway through the second half, Joe Gomrley hooked the ball over McIntyre, but Luke McCullough steered his shot away from danger. 

Carrick were forced to play out the last 20 minutes with 10 men after Ethan Boyle sustained a knee injury and with the visitors using their allotted substitute windows, he was unable to be replaced. 

The 10 men almost pulled a goal back, substitute Jack Hastings' shot on the turn was blocked by Addis and Jack O’Reilly’s follow-up took a deflection on its way behind. 

It was Cliftonville who would add to their advantage at the conclusion when McCullough tripped substitute Ryan Corrigan and referee Mark Dillon pointed to the spot. 

Alex Parsons' penalty was turned onto the post by Jack McIntyre, but Parsons turned home at the second time of asking as the Solitude side claimed a second successive 3-0 win over the visitors this season and climbed into seventh place in the table. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Ridd, Pepper, Stewart (Glynn 78’), Addis, Curran (Parsons 63’), Conlon, Gordon (Pettifer 78’), Piesold (Madden 63’), Gormley (Corrigan 78’), Keaney, Wilson. 

CARRICK RANGERS: McIntyre, Forsythe, Watson, Cushley (O’Reilly 69’), Maciulaitis (Hastings 63’), McCullough, Clucas (Andrews 23’), Gibson, Webb (Buchanan-Rolleston 63’), Boyle, O’Brien. 

REFEREE: Mark Dillon