NI Premiership Round-up - Week 30
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Ciaran Caldwell headed in a late winner to give Cliftonville victory over Donegal Celtic and move the Reds a step closer to their first League Championship in fifteen years.
It was a hard earned three points however as Celtic, who have been galvanised since the appointment of Pat McAllister as manager, threatened to end a 10-game winning sequence for Cliftonville at Solitude when Ryan Deans slotted home a second half equaliser to cancel out Stephen Garrett’s opener.
Joe Gormley saw his deflected shot go wide for the hosts before Tommy Breslin's team showed they had the stuff of champions by striking late for a crucial three points.
Crusaders remain fourteen points behind their local rivals, with a game in hand, as two superb strikes by Eamonn McAllister helped them to a 3-1 victory over Coleraine.
The former Donegal Celtic midfielder netted a fine first-time volley in the fourth minute to put Stephen Baxter’s men ahead. Coleraine striker Curtis Allen headed the home side level from David Scullion's cross on 27 minutes.
Crues striker Timmy Adamson headed the Belfast side into a 2-1 lead in the second half with McAllister getting the third with a superb volley.
Linfield could only manage a draw at home to Lisburn Distillery with their former striker Aaron Boyd scoring the bottom club's equaliser. Michael Gault had given the Blues a 50th-minute lead with a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area but Distillery equalised sixteen minutes later through Boyd's shot from just inside the area.
Former Sligo Rovers midfielder Jason McCartney scored a hat-trick to ensure Ballinamallard United are just one win away from being sure of a top-six finish as the Fermanagh side cruised to a 4-0 victory over Dungannon Swifts.
Portadown kept their faint hopes of securing a finish in the top half of the table with a 3-1 win over Glenavon while Glentoran stay fourth after playing out a scoreless draw away to Ballymena United.
