NI Premiership Round-up - Week 5
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Cliftonville moved into the outright lead of the Danske Irish Premiership with a deserved 2-1 victory of fellow high flyers Ballymena United at Solitude on Tuesday night.
Ballymena, who were on a seventeen game unbeaten run and yet to concede a goal this season, started brightly but Cliftonville gradually got their game together taking the lead on 41 minutes. Liam Boyce flat-footed the United defence with an audacious back-heel and Martin Donnelly slotted the ball home to put the home side one goal up at the break.
The visitors started the second half well but again Liam Boyce was the architect of their downfall, heading home Stephen Garrett’s cross with twenty minutes remaining. Ballymena replied with a long range strike from Gary Thompson in injury time but it was not enough to prevent the Reds from claiming all three points.
Champions Linfield struggles continued as they suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Crusaders who move into second place in the table.
Both sides had their goalkeepers to thank for keeping the first half goalless but a Gary McCutcheon penalty gave the visitors the lead early in the second period. Linfield responded well and drew level through a stunning Mark McAllister strike on 53 minutes.
David Jeffrey’s men were then undone by a defensive error that allowed Declan Caddell to prod home McCutcheon’s cross to leave last year’s league winners six points behind early pace-setters, Cliftonville.
Ballinamallard came back to earth with a bump after their fine start to life in the top tier with a 4-1 defeat to a rejuvenated Glentoran at Ferney Park.
A Mark Stafford header had cancelled out Andrew Waterworth’s early opener to leave the sides level at the interval but the Glens upped their game in the second half, bagging three goals and dominating the proceedings.
Elsewhere Lisburn Dstillery moved off the bottom gaining their first points of the season with a 2-1 win over Dungannon Swifts while Donegal Celtic replaced them at the foot of the table when they went down 3-1 to Coleraine who are now third in the table, level on points with second-placed Crusaders.
