NIFL Premiership
Cliftonville 0-0 Coleraine
Solitude

CLIFTONVILLE got their first Premiership point on the board and after holding Coleraine to a 0-0 draw at Solitude on Saturday afternoon. 

Both sides largely cancelled each other out, and opportunities were at a premium with Ryan Curran coming closest to breaking the deadlock in the second period – though the sides settled for a point a piece to the satisfaction of Jim Magilton who praised the character and resilience of his players in bouncing back from defeat to Bangor the previous weekend. 

“Overall, I’m obviously happy because we got something from the game,” said the Reds boss.

“It would have been a travesty if we hadn’t given the effort and the attitude of the players. After last Sunday there was a lot of questions asked, probably quite rightly so and justified in terms of walking away from Bangor and losing the game."

“Today was about showing that sort of resilience that is within the group. They showed last year after the Cup Final, and we went back-to-back, so they have it in them. Today was an expression of that and a real character building performance from us."

The Cliftonville boss believed that his squad recognised the quality that Coleraine had but stood up to the task. 

“We know and recognise the quality that Coleraine have, they are outstanding players and an outstanding team – they are going to go close. Today was a real battle of wills for us, we had to stand up and be counted and to their credit, they were fantastic.” 

The Reds made four changes to the side that started Sunday afternoon’s defeat to Bangor. 

PJ Morrison debuted between the sticks, on-loan Sunderland youth player Thomas Lavery was also drafted in, whilst Conor Pepper and Luke Conlon were handed starts. 

The Bannsiders were first to threaten when Lewis McGregor carried the ball into the box and picked out Levi Ives whose low shot was held by Peter Morrison. McGregor then cut the ball back for Glackin and he shot into the side netting, with Joel Cooper dragging a shot wide 60 seconds later. 

The pressure continued as Lyndon Kane played the ball to the back post where Ives glancing header was across the face of goal. 

Levi Ives was next to play in a dangerous cross that Jonny Addis was forced to turn behind for a corner and before the half concluded, Will Patching curled a free-kick past the far post as the half ended scoreless. 

Cliftonville had the first half chance of the second period following a dangerous cross into the area from Addis which was bundled behind for a corner by Charles Dunne. 

At the other end Levi Ives cut back and failed to find a team-mate, but Dylan Boyle robbed Rory Hale on the edge of the box and he floated a high ball wide of the far post. 

HOME-COMING: The Reds kicked off their first home fixture with a draw on Saturday
2Gallery

HOME-COMING: The Reds kicked off their first home fixture with a draw on Saturday

The game's best opportunity arrived after 71 minutes when substitute Eric McWoods ran onto a clearance down the channel, he held it up before his cutback fell invitingly to Ryan Curran and he could only stab wide of the post. 

A free-kick from Adebayo Fapetu was too high to trouble Aidan Harris in the Bannsiders goal with little under a quarter of an hour remaining. 

Coleraine pushed hard for a late winner for the second weekend running, though Cliftonville stood resolute and in injury time almost pounced.  

A long throw from Addis was flicked into the area and Dean Jarvis hooked the ball clear from Joe Gormley after grappling to fend the striker off, referee Christopher Morrison wasn’t interested in the subsequent penalty appeals which followed and at the final whistle it finished goalless in North Belfast. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Keaney, Addis, Casey, Lavery, Pepper (Fapetu 72’), Wilson, Hale, Conlon (Glynn 56’), Campbell (McWoods 41’), Curran (Gormley 72’). 

COLERAINE: Harris, Kane, Boyle, Lyons-Foster, McGregor (Doherty 76’), Patching, Shevlin (McManus 62’), Cooper, Ives (Jarvis 76’), Glackin (McGonigle 90’), Dunne. 

REFEREE: Christopher Morrison