NIFL Premiership
Bangor 1
Cliftonville 1
At Clandeboye Park
IT was honours even at Clandeboye Park on Saturday afternoon as Bangor and Cliftonville played out a 1-1 draw.
The visitors hit the front through Ryan Curran’s 27th minute penalty – the striker's 100th career goal for the club, but Ben Arthurs replied within six minutes and neither side could force a winner in the aftermath.
Reds boss Jim Magilton rued the lack of impetus in his side's second-half performance compared to a solid first half showing.
“I thought the first half, we started the game really, really well,” he reflected.
“Total control of the game, I thought our movement and our tempo was really good. It’s always a very difficult place to come to because of the quality of the opposition, who they are and what they have done.
“Lee Feeney deserves immense credit, the players deserve immense credit, but I thought we controlled the game and then Jonny Addis – who doesn’t make many mistakes – just has a slip and to be fair to Ben Arthurs, it is a really controlled finish. He’d a lot of time to think about it but took his goal really well.
“I just thought we didn’t play with the same impetus in the second half. We didn't show enough in the attacking third. We had one or two opportunities but we didn’t test their goalkeeper enough. We had a lot of possession, but not what i would say quality possession to hurt the opposition. We went long too often but all in all is a point which keeps the run going."
Ryan Curran opened the scoring for Cliftonville
Magilton made three changes to the side that defeated Glenavon last weekend. Suspension ruled out Odhran Casey and Rory Hale whilst Keevan Hawthorne dropped out. Into the XI came Conor Pepper, Shaun Leppard and Micheál Glynn.
Cliftonville had the better of the early possession and created the first opportunity when Joe Sheridan threaded a through ball to Micheál Glynn but he shot off target and failed to test Patrick Grogan in the Bangor goal.
At the other end Tiarnan Mulvenna hung in a high cross that Peter Morrison claimed and the hosts had the ball in the net 60 seconds later.
Ben Cushnie played the ball to the back post where Ben Arthurs tapped in, but the linesman's flag was immediately raised and the celebrations were curtailed.
Cliftonville had a chance to hit the front when Harry Lynch felled Conor Pepper in front of referee Tim Marshall, who pointed to the spot.
That presented Ryan Curran with the chance to net and he slotted past Grogan to reach his 100th career goal for the club.
The hosts responded within six minutes and were back level when Cushnie robbed Jonny Addis in possession and slipped in Arthurs for a composed finish past Peter Morrison.
Just before the break Micheál Glynn tried to catch Grogan off guard with a free kick that sailed over the bar as the sides headed in with nothing separating them.
Both sides had chances to forge ahead in the early stages of the second half. First when Harry Wilson launched a high ball over the top for Eric McWoods, but Patrick Grogan denied the striker.
60 seconds later, Tiarnan Mulvenna picked out Ben Cushnie who flicked the ball over his shoulder and his shot on the turn thundered off the bar on its way over.
Midway through the second half Grogan denied substitute Joe Gormley, who controlled a fine Addis pass on the edge of the box.
Cliftonville created a few chances in the aftermath with Adebayo Fapetu shooting over on the turn.
A deep Glynn free kick fell to Gormley at the back post but he nodded wide and with the game approaching injury time Conor Falls blasted over from the edge of the box.
The Seasiders could have nicked all three points in added time. Former Cliftonville youth products Stephen McGuinness and substitute Michael Morgan combined with the latter's shot being blocked and Mark Haughey fired into the side netting from the rebound as the sides shared the spoils at the conclusion.
The Reds escaped North Down with a point but still remain sixth place heading into the Boxing Day derby clash with Crusaders next Friday.
BANGOR: Grogan, Neale, Haughey, Harrison, Mulvenna (Hassin 64’), Arthurs, Cushnie (Morgan 90’), O’Mahony, Lynch, Devlin, McGuinness.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Leppard, Addis, Keaney, Lavery, Wilson, Pepper (Fapetu 46’), Sheridan (McCay 85’), Glynn, McWoods (Falls 72’), Curran (Gormley 64’).
REFEREE: Tim Marshall
