NIFL Premiership
Carrick Rangers 0
Cliftonville 1
at Taylers Avenue
SHAUN LEPPARD’s first goal for the club ensured that Cliftonville avoided a fourth straight league defeat with a hard fought 1-0 win over Carrick Rangers at Taylor’s Avenue on Saturday afternoon.
Leppard powered home a header from a free-kick after a quarter of an hour in a game of two halves in Carrickfergus, with the visitors forced to survive some heavy pressure after the break.
Reds boss Jim Magilton was delighted that his players backed up their midweek win over Linfield though rued their lack of clinical edge in a first period in which they largely dominated.
Shaun Leppard's first goal for Cliftonville
“We’re delighted for the players, obviously it was important that we backed up Tuesday night,” he reflected.
“I thought in the first half we were very good, we created enough opportunities to put the game out of sight – we didn’t do that.
“It’s always very difficult given the quality of players they have, especially on the counter attack and especially the quality of the front players they have. There was always that danger, but I thought we defended magnificently well.
“We just weren’t clinical enough. If there was a negative about our game today, it’s not putting the ball in the net and making the game more comfortable but we’re just delighted with the three points”.
Magilton made three changes to the XI that defeated Linfield 4-1 in the County Antrim Shield on Tuesday evening.
Peter Morrison returned in goal, the other two were enforced as injury ruled out Sean Robertson and Odhran Casey was suspended.
The duo were replaced by Thomas Lavery and Shaun Leppard respectively as the Solitude side looked to avoid a fourth straight Premiership defeat.
It was Cliftonville who made the breakthrough with little over a quarter of an hour on the clock in Carrickfergus.
Luke McCullough bundled over Eric McWoods and from the resulting free kick Keevan Hawthorne sent in a pinpoint delivery into a crowded area and Shaun Leppard rose highest to power home his first goal for the club.
Midway through the half Nathan Gartside parried a Thomas Lavery low attempt. The former Reds goalkeeper made a smart block from Lavery again on the half hour mark after Eric McWoods had bustled his way in at the byline and Ryan Curran laid the ball off for the on-loan Sunderland wing-back.
Cliftonville should have doubled their lead before the break when Harry Wilson’s pass split the Gers defence and Ryan Curran’s shot was diverted off the foot of Gartside.
At the other end Carrick may have pulled level when Danny Gibson brought the ball down and fed Paul Heatley whose shot was through the legs of Peter Morrison, but he gathered at the second time of asking as Leppard’s goal proved the difference at the break.
Carrick began the second period brightly with Paul Heatley crossing though Jack Scott couldn’t keep his header down.
Keevan Hawthorne’s low free-kick was whipped around the wall but gathered by Gartside and thereafter it was all Rangers pressure.
A floated Ryan McKay attempt was dropping perilously close to the bar and Peter Morrison was forced to turn it over at the expense of a corner, and from the resulting set-piece Jimmy Callacher glanced wide of the target.
On the stroke of the hour mark Shaun Leppard almost presented Danny Gibson with an opening, however he recovered and made a fantastic diversion to send Gibson’s attempt behind.
Peter Morrison held onto a free-kick from substitute Aidan Steele that came over the wall and Steele then shot over from the edge of the box.
The host's best chance came in the 71st minute when Heatley fizzed in a low cross that McKay touched into Gibson’s path but he ballooned his attempt off target.
It was a backs to the wall job for Cliftonville and they survived a further let off when Steele curled a low shot inches wide but in the end they saw the job out to ensure they arrested their three-game losing streak in the league and went above Rangers in the table.
CARRICK RANGERS: Gartside, Burns, Callacher, McCullough, McKay, Cherry (Steele 63’), Crowe, Snoddy, Scott, Gibson, Heatley.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Keaney, Addis, Leppard, Lavery, Wilson, Hale (McCay 89’), Sheridan (Gordon 73’), Hawthorne, McWoods (Bermingham 89’), Curran (Gormley 85’).
REFEREE: Mark Dillon
