NIFL Premiership
Larne 2
Cliftonville 0
At Inver Park
A LACK of cutting edge cost Cliftonville as they started their post-split schedule with a 2-0 defeat to top of the table Larne at Inver Park on Saturday afternoon.
Goals in each half from Matty Lusty and Andy Ryan saw the Inver Reds extend their advantage at the top, as the visitors and boss Jim Magilton rued a host of missed chances over the course of the 90-minutes.
“Given the conditions and given the game and the importance of the game, I thought we applied ourselves terrifically well,” Magilton reflected.
“The basics of the game, play to the conditions – I thought we did, and we got a great opportunity in Brian. For a player of his ability, it is a great chance.
“When you get a goal in front, especially against the top, top teams in the league, it gives you a platform to go and play, the confidence to go and play and we didn’t capitalise on that.
“The goal against was really poor. Poor decision making all round, we didn’t make Larne work hard enough for the goal and it was a really, really sloppy goal from our point of view.
“I thought we passed the ball actually better in the second half against the wind, for whatever reasons, and again carved out a really great opportunity.
“For us, it is a game of fewer opportunities and if you don’t take them against the quality that Larne possess, there is always an opportunity and they took them and they were more clinical in the box than we were today."
Magilton made four changes from the side that drew 2-2 with Ballymena United last weekend. Suspension ruled out Rory Hale, Joe Sheridan was on international duty and Sean Robertson and Shaun Leppard both dropped out.
Jonny Addis returned from injury to skipper the side, Harry Wilson also returned after a few weeks missing with a broken wrist, and Conor Pepper and Ryan Curran were also drafted in.
The hosts were first to fashion an opportunity when they sprung forward at pace and Andy Ryan swept the ball across to Matthew Lusty who blasted behind. From the resulting goal-kick, PJ Morrison’s high ball forward was missed by Tomas Cosgrove and it dropped for Brian Healy, though he snatched at the golden chance.
Liam McStravick’s clipped ball into the box was helped behind for a corner, but it was Larne who began to find their rhythm.
Again, Ryan found Lusty and his flick goalwards was parried by Morrison. Lusty then tried his luck from range, however it failed to test the Reds' keeper midway through the half.
The deadlock was broken after 27 minutes. Aaron Donnelly carried the ball forward and slipped a pass into the box that Sean Graham got to ahead of PJ Morrison, who left his goal unattended, and Graham’s cut-back found Lusty to apply the finish and make it 1-0.
Just before the break Brian Healy did well to get to a long pass forward ahead of Aaron Donnelly at the byline and he tried to find Liam McStravick, only for Chris Gallagher to thump the ball clear as Lusty’s goal was the difference at the interval.
Cliftonville almost restored parity three minutes after the restart when Liam McStravick’s venomous snapshot crashed off the bar. At the other end Ronan Doherty played a corner short to Jordan McEneff and took the return before curling a shot towards goal that PJ Morrison held onto.
Just before the hour mark Harry Wilson slipped a through ball into the area. Brian Healy got out of its path and Conor Pepper got on the end of it, but there were no takers for his cut-back across the face of goal.
A period of pressure followed from the hosts with Ryan Curran glancing over from Glynn’s corner and the striker then saw a further low shot in the area scrambled out by Rohan Ferguson.
Sean Graham’s corner was met by Cosgrove and his header was deflected behind for a further set-piece that was cleared and Cliftonville sprung a counter-attack through Joe Gormley who laid the ball off to fellow substitute Adam Carroll, who shot off target.
A superb PJ Morrison save from close range denied Andy Ryan but the Scotsman would give his side breathing space in the 86th minute.
Jordan McEneff’s corner was helped on by Ryan Nolan and Andy Ryan glanced it goalwards and just over the line in the opinion of the linesman who needed to provide clarity amongst uncertainty for referee Mark Dillon.
Thereafter, the hosts ran out 2-0 winners to cement their place at the summit as both sides attention now switches to their respective Irish Cup semi-finals next weekend.
LARNE: Ferguson, Ridley, Donnelly, Gallagher, O’Neill (Nolan 46’) Graham, Doherty (McKendry 66’), McEneff (McAllister 90+2’), Cosgrove, Ryan (Randall 887’), Lusty (Magee 66’).
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Toole (McCay 62’), A Kelly, Addis (Jordan 62’), Glynn, Pepper, J Kelly, Wilson (Anderson 84’), McStravick, Healy (Carroll 62’), Curran (Gormley 75’).
REFEREE: Mark Dillon
