Seconds out
Crusaders 2-0 Cliftonville
Cliftonville paid the price for a sloppy start to the second-half in today’s North Belfast Derby at Seaview.
Quickfire finishes from Kieran Offord put Crusaders in full control of a festive affair that had been an even contest up to that point, with neither goalkeeper overly exerted during a first-half that largely saw the teams cancel one another out.
After Offord reacted quickest to tuck home when Jordan Stewart’s long-range attempt had come back off the crossbar, the Scotsman was then denied by a smart save from Lewis Ridd only to make it 2-0 almost instantly as the Reds’ failure to emerge with any intensity after the break saw them punished again.
Thereafter, the away side did produce some smart football and threatened through Joe Gormley and Rory Hale, while substitute Ronan Doherty brought two saves out of Jonny Tuffey, but a failure to turn that pressure into a goal slowly saw the momentum ebb out of the contest as the Crues comfortably held on for victory.
Cliftonville: Ridd, Addis, Newberry, Kearney, Hale, Curran (Markey, 80 mins), Piesold (Madden, 85 mins), Gormley, Glynn, Wilson (Doherty, 53 mins), Steven (Corrigan, 53 mins). Unused subs: Odumosu, Pepper, Pettifer.