NIFL Premiership
Glenavon 1–2 Cliftonville 

CLIFTONVILLE made it back-to-back league wins with a hard fought 2-1 win over Glenavon at Mourneview Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Captain for the afternoon, Joe Gormley gave the visitors the lead against the run of the play in the opening half and midfielder Shea Gordon opened his account for the club before the hour mark. 

James Doona pulled a goal back for the Lurgan Blues who piled on the late pressure but were unable to claim a share of the spoils to the relief of Reds boss Jim Magilton, who has called for performances to improve in the coming weeks. 

“That’s two games on the trot where we have allowed the opposition into the game when we should have been out of sight in terms of chances created,” Magilton reflected. 

“We just had a little panic. I know it is game two but our standard of performance has to be better. That is the whole ethos of what we’re about and I want better and demand better. The players should demand it of themselves, and they will demand it of themselves. 

“I take that we are slowly but surely in game two but I don’t care if it is game 40 - it’s game two and we have to be better in terms of the ball and not giving it away and in terms of all hands to the pump scenarios at the end of games. I thought the fans were fantastic for us today - they got us through it, but we put ourselves under needless pressure.”

Magilton made two changes from the side that defeated Portadown in their league opener last weekend. 

Jonny Addis returned to the centre of defence after an injury last week as Shaun Leppard dropped to the bench, whilst injury ruled out Rory Donnelly and Joe Gormley was afforded a start in attack. 

The Lurgan Blues had the better of the opening exchanges as Jack Malone curled a shot into the midriff of David Odumosu and James Doona then arrowed an effort target after a neat build-up. 

At the other end, a mistake almost allowed Joe Gormley in, but he opted to slip the ball across to Shea Gordon whose shot failed to test Gareth Deane.

The deadlock was broken 60 seconds later and it was Cliftonville who hit the front against the run of play. 

Luke Conlon played a ball into the path of Ryan Curran who mis-controlled and Peter Campbell couldn’t cut the ball out as Joe Gormley pounced and smashed home his first of the campaign. 

The visitors had further opportunities to add to their lead.

Luke Conlon flicked the ball to Gordon, and he pulled it back for Sean Stewart-who was denied by Deane. 

Moments later, Shea Gordon played in Ryan Curran and a magnificent sliding block from Jack Malone denied Curran making it two goals in two games. 

Unfortunately, Malone would exit with what looked to be a serious injury before the break and his replacement Matthew Snoddy shot off target after an opportunity opened up as Gormley’s goal proved the difference at the interval. 

Joe Gormley opens the scoring
2Gallery

Joe Gormley opens the scoring

The second half started with more urgency as both sides went close. Peter Campbell tried to pick out Michael O’Connor at the front-post, but Odumosu gathered and at the other end Ronan Doherty flighted a pass to goal scorer Gormley at the back post and he shot past the post. 

Rhys Marshall then played a ball in behind Sean Stewart that Campbell got on the end of and drove across the face of goal, play was recycled, and Niall Quinn curled a shot wide of goal. 

The hosts had Mark Haughey to thank for diverting Joe Gormley’s front post cross behind at the expense of a corner and from Sean Stewart’s resulting set-piece Ryan Curran twice miscued. 

Cliftonville would double their lead before the hour mark. Ronan Doherty produced a fabulous cross into the area and Shea Gordon swooped and stabbed the ball underneath Gareth Deane and into the net to make it 2-0. 

Further chances evaded Jim Magilton’s men with goalscorers Gordon and Gormley both spurning chances to double their account and they were made to rue the opportunities as Glenavon found a lifeline on the 70th minute. 

Luke Conlon’s attempted pass back was seized upon by David McDaid and he slipped a pass to James Doona to sweep a shot beyond the reach of Odumosu. 

The hosts were buoyed and threw the kitchen sink at Cliftonville in the closing stages, but it was the Reds who could have sealed things when Ryan Corrigan charged forward and found Kris Lowe in the six-yard box, only to fire over the bar. 

The Solitude outfit survived five minutes of added time to leave with all three points and make it back-to-back Premiership victories. 

GLENAVON: Deane, O’Sullivan, Marshall (Doran 81’), Haughey, Malone (Snoddy 45+6’), McDaid, Campbell, Quinn, Doona, Carroll, O’Connor (Ward 64’). 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Kearney (Piesold 46’), Newberry, Addis, Conlon, Stewart (Leppard 74’), Pepper, Doherty (Ojo 89’), Gordon (Lowe 74’), Curran, Gormley (Corrigan 83’). 

REFEREE: Evan Boyce