Marissa’s a dab han

Cliftonville Ladies 2-1 Crusaders Strikers

Two Marissa Callaghan goals earned Cliftonville Ladies victory in tonight’s crucial North Belfast Derby at Solitude.

After opening the scoring with just four minutes gone, the Reds were pegged back when Caitlyn Hamilton nodded the Crues level early in the second-half.

Cliftonville knew they needed a winner to return to the top of the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership – albeit potentially only temporarily with Glentoran Women’s clash with Linfield Ladies delayed until Friday – and they got it with a quarter of an hour remaining when, after consultation with an assistant, the referee awarded a penalty for Harvey-Clifford’s foul on Yasmin White and Callaghan stepped up to convert.

Despite the dismissal of Megan Weatherall, who picked up a second yellow card of the night just 60 seconds later, the hosts held on to take full points and maintain their title challenge with just two rounds of fixtures remaining.

Cliftonville: Norney, White, Burrows, Moran, Morgan, McDaniel, C McGuinness, K McGuinness, Davis, Callaghan, Weatherall. Subs: McKimm (C McGuinness, 82 mins), Caldwell, McConnell, Montgomery (White, 83 mins), McHenry.