NI Premiership Round-up - Week 23
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Linfield have revived their title challenge with a 3-1 victory over leaders Cliftonville at Windsor Park, a result that puts the Champions ten points behind the Reds although the North Belfast side also have a game in hand.
The game was a must win for David Jeffrey’s men as three points for Cliftonville would surely have ruled them out of the Championship race with the Christmas decorations not yet down but, as they so often do, the Blues faced down the challenge and gave their supporters hope of a seventh title in eight seasons.
Albert Watson went close for the home side early on with a header and then the same player done well to interrupt a Cliftonville attack and thread a through ball to Matthew Tipton who calmly rounded Conor Devlin to open the scoring.
The former Dundalk striker then doubled Linfield’s advantage when he tapped home from close range on 23 minutes to put the hosts firmly in command. Liam Boyce pulled one back for Cliftonville before half time but Michael Carvill restored Linfield’s two goal advantage early in the second half. Joe Gormley had a chance to, at least, cut the deficit to one but he missed the target and now Tommy Breslin will hope that his side can get back to winning ways when Glentoran visit Solitude next Monday night.
Crusaders took full advantage of the Reds misfortune as a late Gareth McKeown strike was enough to give them a hard fought home victory over Portadown to cut the gap at the top to six points. McKeown blasted in the 85th-minute winner from Paul Heatley's pass seconds after Portadown's Keith O'Hara had been sent-off for two yellow cards.
A late Shane Jennings equaliser gave Coleraine a share of the spoils in their battle with Glentoran leaving both sides on 38 points and in joint fourth position in the league. The Glens had taken the lead when Marcus Kane’s stunning looping volley arced in to the top corner but Coleraine fought back to level the scores and, indeed, were unlucky not to collect all three points when Curtis Allen, uncharacteristically, shot wide from close range in the dying minutes.
Two goals in two minutes, one from former Longford Town midfielder Jason McCartney, gave Ballinamallard United victory over Lisburn Distillery and means that Lisburn are now four points adrift at the foot of the table.
They trail Donegal Celtic who won for only the third time this season as Paul McVeigh struck in the 68th minute to give the West Belfast side a deserved victory over Glenavon. DC were under pressure to perform after manager Pat McAllister described Saturday's 5-0 defeat at Glentoran a "disgrace “ and created the better chances throughout. They should have added to their lead when Mark McSkimmin, who has been linked with a move to Coleraine, raced through on goal but his effort was saved by Andy Coleman in the Glenavon net.
The match between Dungannon Swifts and Ballymena United was postponed after referee Mark Courtney deemed the Stangmore Park surface unplayable due to waterlogging.
