Silva lining

Joana Da Silva struck twice as Cliftonville Ladies soared to a superb North Belfast Derby victory over Crusaders Strikers in this evening’s Danske Bank Women’s Premiership clash.

Goalless at the interval, the deadlock on the Reds’ 5-1 success at Solitude was broken when Marissa Callaghan rattled in an unbeatable strike before Da Silva registered her first of the evening after good work from Billie Simpson and Leah McEvoy in the build-up.

It was Simpson who added the Reds’ third ahead of Leontia McVarnock teeing Da Silva up to make it 4-0.

The Crues pulled one back through Heather Mearns but there was no doubting that the night belonged to Cliftonville, who added a fifth courtesy of Megan Moran to wrap up three valuable Premiership points in addition to those all-important derby bragging rights.