Second nature
Cliftonville 2-2 Coleraine
For the second week in a row, Cliftonville were forced to settle for a point after seeing a two-goal lead slip as Coleraine battled back at Solitude this afternoon.
Leading when a long-range effort from Ronan Hale was spilled over the line by goalkeeper Martin Gallagher, the Reds doubled their advantage courtesy of Ronan Doherty netting directly from a corner.
The Bannsiders reduced the arrears soon later, though, when Matthew Shevlin stroked home from the penalty spot and the same player converted a leveller within minutes to restore parity.
Cliftonville looked the more likely to go on and win the game, however Gallagher redeemed himself with two saves to deny Joe Gormley on what ultimately amounted to a frustrating day for the Reds.
The hosts started on the front foot and Rory Hale saw a fizzing shot touched over the top by Gallagher, who was beaten by the midfielder’s younger brother soon later with a strike that the stopper misjudged and was unable to get to grips with before it had sneaked over the line.
Rory was next to threaten but Gallagher did well to narrow the angle on his shot from Kris Lowe’s incisive pass while, at the other end, Conor McKendry was unable to convert Conor McDermott’s delivery.
Jamie McDonagh then saw an attempt saved and Rodney Brown heaved a sigh of relief when he diverted Sean Moore’s cutback over his own crossbar as the Reds piled on the pressure in pursuit of a second goal.
There was controversy at the end of the first-half when Lowe was booked for simulation inside the box despite appearing to have been tripped by Jamie Glackin, while the second period began with Nathan Gartside being forced to repel a rasping drive from Lyndon Kane.
Soon later, however, Cliftonville were 2-0 up when Doherty’s corner kick sailed over everyone in the middle and nestled in the far corner of the net.
That advantage would not last long, though, and Coleraine were afforded a route back into the contest when Dean Jarvis’ pass sent Shevlin scampering in behind and when he was tripped by Jonny Addis, the striker picked himself up to stroke home from the penalty spot.
Within a couple of minutes, the former Ballymena United man was celebrating again having got a telling touch on Glackin’s delivery to level matters.
Cliftonville responded well to that momentum shift and should have contested the final 20 minutes with a numerical advantage only for referee Raymond Crangle to produce just a yellow card for Jarvis’ cyncial two-footed challenge from behind on Rory Hale.
Soon later, Ronan Hale saw a shot charged down and Gallagher saved from substitute Joe Gormley as the Reds reasserted themselves on proceedings.
As the clock ticked down, Ronan Hale was again denied by the keeper, who also used his legs to keep another Gormley effort out as Coleraine held on to pocket a point.
Cliftonville: Gartside, Ives, Addis, C Gallagher, Rory Hale (Casey, 76 mins), McDonagh (Gormley, 71 mins), Lowe, Doherty (Parkhouse, 85 mins), Turner, Ronan Hale, Moore. Unused subs: G Doherty, C Curran, R Curran, Robinson.