Cliftonville 2
Warrenpoint Town 1
BY KEVIN HERRON at Solitude
Adebayo Fapetu swept home the winner as Cliftonville came from behind at the break to defeat Warrenpoint Town 2-1 at Solitude on Tuesday evening.
Reds boss Jim Magilton handed a start to his most recent signing, on-loan Middlesbrough youngster Ollie Samuels.
It was the hosts who had the better of the chances in the opening half with Danny Devine at full stretch to turn Ben Quinn’s free-kick around the post at the expense of a corner.
Then Aaron Wightman supplied a cross that Brian Healy was unable to keep down as it scaled the target.
It was Warrenpoint Town who would hit the front a few minutes before the break and it came through former Cliftonville striker Adam Carroll- who was slipped through and his delicate dink over Lewis Ridd clipped the post on its way in to give his the advantage at the interval.
Cliftonville got back on terms a few minutes after the restart when Rory Hale’s free kick was adjudged to have struck the hand of Connall McGrandles.
Hale himself stood over the resulting spot kick and made no mistake, firing past Devine to make it 1-1.
Rory Hale equalised from the spot for the Reds
Warrenpoint could have regained the lead but for the crossbar to deny a shot that seemed to be heading harmlessly behind.
The Reds were largely on the front foot and Joe Sheridan saw an effort flash past the far post.
Ben Quinn’s attempt struck Brian Healy on its way behind and Paul Stanfield went close before the winner arrived approaching the final ten minutes.
Substitute Cillian Murray’s cross from the right was brought down by the Reds trailist and it fell perfectly for Adebayo Fapetu to sweep low to the corner and make it 2-1 on 79 minutes.
JIm Magilton’s side are back in action on Saturday when they play host to Southern Premier League outfit Alvechurch (3pm kick-off).
