Windsor woe

Linfield 1-0 Cliftonville

Cliftonville slipped to a narrow defeat in this afternoon’s Danske Bank Premiership encounter with Linfield at Windsor Park.

After twice going close to breaking the scoring through Levi Ives, the Reds fell behind when Kris Lowe got an unfortunate telling touch on a low delivery from the right to send the ball over the goal-line for what would ultimately prove the winner.

In the closing stages, Ronan Hale clattered the woodwork and Joe Gormley had an effort ruled out for offside as the Blues held on for full points.

Amid a cagey start to proceedings, it took a full 31 minutes for either side to fashion an opening of note but, after Jamie Mulgrew had done well to peel away from Jonny Addis and slip a pass into the box, Kyle Lafferty skied his effort from a promising position.

Soon later, Cliftonville carved out a golden opportunity of their own with Ives teaming up with Hale to negotiate a path to goal, only to see his attempt well kept out by goalkeeper Chris Johns.

Ives also tried his luck from just outside the area at the start of the second-half, with Linfield duo Joel Cooper and Sam Roscoe disappointed not to have tested Nathan Gartside with headers in the minutes that followed.

The day’s only goal came just before the hour when Chris McKee found Kirk Millar in a wide area and his cross was touched over the line by the unfortunate Lowe, whose intervention merely stopped Matthew Clarke from doing the same at the back post.

Hale then cleared a McKee effort off the line from a corner and the Blues striker wasted a good opportunity from point-blank range before Hale saw a long-range blast come back off the post before being turned over the line by Gormley, only for an offside flag to stop any celebrations in their tracks.

There was still time for Hale to force a smart save from Johns ahead of a madcap goalmouth scramble that saw referee Ian McNabb dismiss Cliftonville penalty appeals as the Blues eventually cleared the danger to cling on for maximum returns.

Cliftonville: Gartside, Ives (Traynor, 77 mins), Addis, Gallagher (C Curran, 77 mins), Rory Hale (McDonagh, 67 mins), Parkhouse, Lowe, R Doherty, Ronan Hale, Coates, Moore (Gormley, 67 mins). Unused subs: G Doherty, Casey, Turner.