NIFL Premiership
Cliftonville 0–0 Crusaders
CLIFTONVILLE and Crusaders played out a scoreless draw in a largely forgettable North Belfast derby at Solitude on Friday evening.
The best chances came late in the second period as Jordan Forsythe saw his header crash off the post and Joe Gormley shot straight at Jonny Tuffey when presented with the chance to claim all three points.
Reds boss Paddy McLaughlin acknowledged that it was a frustrating watch but felt his side should have claimed all three points.
“It was a frustrating game to watch and frustrating to play in,” he said.
“The first half I thought was very cagey and both sides cancelled each other out. I said to the players at half-time it looks like the two sides are afraid to lose the game rather than be brave to go and win it.
“I think we took that on a wee bit in the second half and created a couple of half chances. We’d a great chance at the end to win it I suppose and there was no coming back from that, but we’ll settle for a point. We tried, but without being at our best we probably still deserved to win the game.
“Nathan [Gartside] made a brilliant save to tip one onto the post and everybody almost thought it was in the net. Crusaders will have their argument, but I thought in the balance of play that we were a lot more attack-minded than they were, and we tried to win it more than they did. We’ll settle for a point and move on.”
— Crusaders FC (@CrusadersFC) October 7, 2022
Cliftonville were first to threaten through a Ronan Hale half-volley that Jonny Tuffey gathered low down.
Just before the quarter-hour mark, a Johnny McMurray effort from 40 yards out whistled past the near post, but Nathan Gartside wasn’t convinced it posed him any threat.
On the half-hour mark, a promising Jordan Forsythe free kick was blazed high and off target and summed up the dull opening to the derby.
Chris Gallagher wasn’t too far away with a 34th-minute effort that Jonny Tuffey turned to safety and 60 seconds later the visitors had a penalty appeal turned down when Rory McKeown tumbled as Nathan Gartside came to gather, but referee Shane Andrews was unmoved.
A thumping Jamie McDonagh effort flew narrowly over the angle of the post and crossbar and just before the break Johnny McMurray glanced a header wide from Robbie Weir’s as the sides went in at the interval with the game scoreless.
Crusaders went close at the beginning of the second period through a Billy Joe Burns cross that Philip Lowry headed wide.
A similar pattern emerged with very little activity until the final 20 minutes when Ronan Hale let fly with a shot that Jonny Tuffey was behind.
On 78 minutes, Ross Clarke sent in a glorious cross from the right that Jordan Forsythe headed goalwards and only a smart save from Nathan Gartside directed the winger's attempt onto the post. Cliftonville turned defence to attack but Kris Lowe’s high cross evaded Ronan Doherty.
Luke Turner challenges Philip Lowry 
Joe Gormley entered the fray with 10 minutes remaining and he almost popped up with the winner two minutes from time when fellow substitute Sean Moore slid him through. but he shot straight at Jonny Tuffey.
In the end, neither side could grab a winner and had to settle for a draw in a largely forgettable North Belfast derby.
“We are disappointed as we thought in the last 15-20 minutes, we were going to win it,” said Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter.
“Jordan Forsythe gets in the box, hits a lovely header and the ’keeper makes a good save.
“The players were excellent tonight. We let them have the ball in certain areas in their half and forced them to kick it long. We dealt with that ball all night.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t get it (win), but if you offered me a point at the start of the night, I would have taken it.”
CLIFTONVILLE: Gartside, Lowe, Addis, Coates, Turner, Gallagher, Doherty, Rory Hale (Gormley 80’), McDonagh (Moore 75’), R Curran, Ronan Hale.
CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Burns, Hegarty, Weir, Lowry, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Larmour, McKeown, Clarke, McMurray (Owens 90’).
REFEREE: Shane Andrews
