Cliftonville 1
Glentoran 2
From Kevin Herron at Solitude
JOE GORMLEY’s second half goal was only consolation as Cliftonville fell to a 2-1 defeat to Glentoran under the Solitude lights on Tuesday evening.
Somewhat against the run of play, goals from Jordan Stewart and Pat Hoban gave the title-chasing Glens a 2-0 lead in North Belfast. Substitute Gormley clipped in a goal after the hour mark, but it wasn’t enough as the host's winless run in the league extended to over a month.
Reds boss Jim Magilton lamented conceding two soft goals, he was left bewildered at two decisions he felt went against his side.
“I’m immensely proud of the players,” Magilton reflected. “To play 120 minutes, to lose on penalties on Friday night (in the Irish Cup semi-final) knowing the quality of the opposition on Tuesday night, knowing that we were well beaten here not so long ago.
“To put in that type of performance, to stand up and show courage in the manner in which we did, I thought was fantastic.
Cliftonville’s Michael Glynn battles with Joe Thomson of Glentoran
“Our fans would have expected a reaction, they got one and that is great. Ultimately, we lose a game with two really poor goals.
“Again, that has been the story of our season too when we have been on top. We just lacked that final ball and quality in the final third at times and decision-making in the final third.
“We carved them open, and if you don’t score – given the quality of the opposition – you’re always liable because they are going to create chances, and they did and they took them and we didn’t.
“We scored a great goal, we were on the front foot last thirty minutes of the game, and on another night we get two decisions that go with us and for whatever reasons that only the referee will know, we didn't get it."
Magilton made four changes from the XI that started Friday evening's shoot-out defeat to Dungannon. Josh Kelly was ineligible to feature against his parent club, whilst injuries ruled out Jonny Addis, Luke Conlon and Harry Wilson. Into the starting line-up came Conor Pepper, Aidan Kelly, Keevan Hawthorne and Ryan Curran.
Cliftonville settled much better than their previous two encounters against the Glens. Joseph Toole picked out Ryan Curran at the edge of the area and he swept a shot inches over the bar. A few minutes later Toole then drove into the area and only a superb sliding tackle from Danny Amos averted the danger.
Just before the half hour mark Toole got on the end of a backheel and his low angled shot whistled narrowly across the face of goal.
The home supporters vented their frustration at referee Louise Thompson after MJ Kamson-Kamara was caught in possession by Brian Healy and hauled the striker back.
Despite vocal shouts for a red-card, Thompson booked the Glens defender as there was a covering defender in the vicinity.
The hosts went close again when Ryan Curran slipped the ball across to Healy and he again pulled an effort past the post.
It was a chance they would immediately rue as Andrew Mills' goal-kick was met by the head of Pat Hoban, Josh Daniels chested the ball down and slipped in Jordan Stewart to fire low into the bottom corner and make it 1-0.
Jordan Stewart celebrates the opening goal
Yet another gilt-edged opportunity went abegging for the Reds when Brian Healy laid the ball into Keevan Hawthorne whose shot was flicked further goalwards by Ryan Curran and the shot hit the post on its way behind.
Again, Cliftonville would rue it as Glentoran doubled their lead before the break. Ryan Cooney supplied a pinpoint cross to the backpost and Pat Hoban swooped to head home his fifth goal against the Solitude side this season to make it 2-0 at the break.
Cliftonville halved the deficit just after the hour mark. Brian Healy laid the ball back for Toole whose cross was headed partially clear by Kamson-Kamara, the ball was floated back into the box and Shaun Leppard touched it down to substitute Joe Gormley to clip over Andrew Mills and make it 2-1.
The Glens almost restored their two-goal advantage immediately, but Jordan McEneff’s shot was saved by PJ Morrison.
On 72 minutes, a free-kick was clipped into the box and James Singleton’s shot was kept out by Morrison at the expense of a corner, which came to nothing.
The final quarter of an hour saw the Reds up the ante. Rory Hale had two attempts from free-kicks, the first went through the wall and was straight at Mills with the second cannoned into the wall after James Singleton escaped receiving a second yellow-card for bringing down Ryan Curran.
The pressure came to nothing in the end as Glentoran held on to secure all three-points to close the gap on league-leaders Larne to three points, whilst Cliftonville still remain a point ahead of Dungannon Swifts in fifth place.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, A Kelly, Leppard, Glynn, Toole, Pepper (Sheridan 70’), Hale, McStravick (Carroll 70’), Hawthorne (Gormley 59’), Healy, Curran.
GLENTORAN: Mills, Cooney, Kamara, Larmour, Singleton, Stewart, McEneff (Malone 80’), Palmer, Daniels (Thomson 65’), Hoban, Amos.
REFEREE: Louise Thompson
