Boyle Sports Premiership

Bangor 0-3 Cliftonville

From Kevin Herron at Clandeboye Park

CLIFTONVILLE made it two wins from two and are amongst the early pace-setters in the Boyles Sports Premiership after running out 3-0 winners over Bangor at Clandeboye Park on Saturday afternoon.

The visitors were on the back foot in the opening quarter of an hour but hit the front through a thumping Kyle McClelland strike and doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time through Ben Quinn.

Substitute Liam McStravick sealed the three-points ten minutes from time much to the delight of boss Jim Magilton who was wary of the threat of the Seasiders pre-game.

“This is a really tough place and given it is their  [Bangor] first game, expectations- and we got that buzz last week”

“You’re expecting that real desire to go and get a result, and they certainly showed that and they caused us a few problems.

“Going in 2-0 probably flattered us. Half time, we needed just a little chat and just to increase the quality in our play. I thought we did that and for large parts of that we controlled the game.

“I thought it was a really professional performance. This is a mentality thing coming here and large respect to Lee Feeney and his group of players because they make it extremely difficult for you. Overall delighted, we’ve took the three points away and we move onto next week”.

Magilton named an unchanged team from the derby win over Crusaders with Ben Quinn and Dean McMaster occupying starting roles after their goalscoring debuts for the club.

It was the hosts who began the brightest, summer signing Steven McCullough almost capped his competitive debut with a goal from Lestyn Hughes cross that McCullough headed goalwards and it was cleared on the line.

Lee Lynch then hung in another cross from the left and Lewis Harrison header flashed past the post.

Against the run of play it was Cliftonville who made the breakthrough in the 17th minute. Rory Hale’s free-kick from the right failed to beat Reece Neale and was half cleared, the loose ball came back to Hale whose second cross fell to Kyle McClelland and ricocheted off Alex Bannon setting it up for McClelland to strike a sweet half volley to the net and make it 1-0.

A fine stop from Gareth Deane denied Brian Healy’s curling shot doubling the Reds advantage and Rhyss Campbell shot off target after the half hour mark.

Harry Wilson needed to be alert to throw himself in the path of a Ben Cushnie opening as Bangor pushed for a leveller before the break.

However, Cliftonville doubled their advantage in first half injury time. On-loan Middlesbrough left back Ollie Samuels provided a cross from the right that Ben Quinn headed on, his attempt crashed off the post and Quinn reacted quickest to hook home his second of the season and make it 2-0 at the interval.

Cliftonville picked up were they left off at the beginning of the second half as Rory Hale played a one-two with Ben Quinn but his low shot was smothered by Gareth Deane.

Deane denied Hale twice in quick succession after the hour mark, the second a volley that whistled towards the net only for the goal keeper to tip the ball over the bar.

The chances continued to pile up, substitute Joseph Sheridan shot wide from Harry Wilson’s lay-off and Lee Lynch threw himself in the way of Brian Healy as the striker was poised to pull the trigger.

The Reds may have come to rue the missed opportunities after Steven McCullough got to the byline and attempted to cut back into the six-yard box- though Wilson swept the imminent danger behind for a corner, which came to nothing.

It was game, set and match ten minutes from time as Cliftonville finally found the third that they had threatened.

Liam McStravick picked up the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a curling attempt that flashed past Deane into the top corner to seal a comfortable afternoon's work for the Solitude men.

BANGOR: Deane, Neale, Harrison (Strachan 57’), Hassin (McRoberts 67’), Arthurs, Cushnie (Mulvenna 57’), McCullough, Lynch, Francis, Rodriguez (Devlin 57’), Hughes.

CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Samuels, McClelland, Bannon, Wightman (O’Connor 76’), Wilson (Thompson 76’), Hale, McMaster, Quinn (Sheridan 69’), Healy (Gormley 76’), Campbell (McStravick 51’).

REFEREE: Mark Dillon