Drawing fire

Celtic XI 2-2 Cliftonville

Cliftonville drew 2-2 with Celtic’s Development Squad in this afternoon’s friendly at Lennoxtown.

Played behind closed doors at the Scottish Champions’ £8m training facility, the contest provided the Reds with a welcome warm-up outing ahead of Thursday’s Europa League First Qualifying Round first leg showdown with Nordsjælland.

Ahead through Ryan Curran on 15 minutes, Cliftonville were pegged back on the half-hour before Celtic pulled ahead just after the interval.

Within two minutes, however, half-time substitute Conor McDonald had registered a leveller for the Reds, whose busy weekend of friendly action continues in tomorrow’s meeting with Shelbourne at Tolka Park.

Cliftonville: Neeson, McGovern, Ives, Breen, Harney, C Curran, R Curran, R Donnelly, Bagnall, Gormley, McMenamin. Subs: Dunne (Neeson, 46 mins), Garrett (R Curran, 46 mins), McDonald (Gormley, 46 mins), Catney (Bagnall, 46 mins), J Donnelly (McMenamin, 46 mins), Lavery (Ives, 46 mins), A Donnelly (Harney, 46 mins), McNulty (McGovern, 46 mins).