NI Premiership Round-up - Week 16
Credit:
For the second successive year Cliftonville ran up cricket score at the Showgrounds by defeating Ballymena United and moving seven points clear at the top of the Danske Irish Premiership.
Last November the Reds ran out winners by seven goals to three and on Saturday afternoon they went one better, destroying Glenn Ferguson’s men by eight goals to nil. Four goals in either half were just reward for a rampant Cliftonville who now look like a side ready to mount a challenge to claim the title they last won for only the third time in 1998.
The result was the North Belfast’s sides best ever Premiership victory and it didn’t take long for them to get into their stride with Stephen Garrett opening the scoring with only five minutes on the clock. George McMullan doubled the advantage eight minutes later with a sublime finish from the edge of the box.
A brace from Liam Boyce, either side of goals from James Knowles and Joe Gormley, had Cliftonville six goals to the good at the hour mark before former Republic of Ireland under-21 international, Diarmoid O’Caroll, added a seventh shortly after being introduced as a second half substitute.
Stephen Garrett got his second late on to complete the rout and leave Ballymena in sixth position and with many defensive questions to ponder with the result coming shortly after a six-nil capitulation to Linfield at home in a recent League Cup quarter-final.
Crusaders moved into second courtesy of a 2-0 victory over Portadown, who had former Dundalk and Galway United defender Gary Breen sent off for two yellow cards in the second half.
In truth, the game was already over at that point as Stephen Baxter’s men were comfortably ahead through the impressive Jordan Owens and a 55th minute headed goal from Timmy Adamson. The result means Portadown are languishing in eighth place with much to do to repeat last year’s heroics when they finished runners-up to Linfield in an impressive league campaign.
Friday night’s clash between Ballinamallard United and a battling Donegal Celtic ended in a goalless draw that sees the Fermanagh side hold on to third spot, with Celtic gaining a valuable point that keeps them level with Lisburn Distillery and off the bottom on goal difference.
Coleraine could not capitalise on Ballinamallard’s draw as they themselves were held to a stalemate by Dungannon Swifts, who failed to gain their first win in nine league outings despite taking the lead through Josh Calhoon on the half hour mark. Curtis Allen came off the bench to gain Coleraine a valuable point but couldn’t stop the Bannsiders slipping to fourth position.
A double from Andrew Waterworth was enough to ease Glentoran past bottom side Lisburn Distillery as their former striker returned to haunt them and move his side to fifth spot and leave Distillery with an uphill task as they prepare to face league leaders Cliftonville in their next outing.
Glenavon were denied all three points by a late Daryl Fordyce equaliser as Linfield continued to struggle with Peter Thompson’s second half penalty being easily saved by Andy Coleman. Blues keeper Alan Blayney hopelessly misjudged the former Derry City midfielder Ciaran Martyn’s speculative effort to put Glenavon ahead before Fordyce’s intervention levelled the game with a minute to go.
The result means that the champions find themselves in unfamiliar territory in seventh position with over a third of the season gone and Glenavon staying above Dungannon Swifts in ninth place by virtue of more goals scored.
