Niller touch

Larne 0-0 Cliftonville

Cliftonville and Larne cancelled one another out in this evening’s Sports Direct Premiership encounter at Inver Park.

The Reds came closest to breaking the deadlock when they twice struck the crossbar in the second-half but, with goalkeeper Lewis Ridd largely untested, the visitors were unable to fashion a breakthrough.

Boasting five changes from their last outing, Cliftonville started brightly and saw Harry Wilson try his luck with two efforts inside the first 30 minutes.

Larne’s first attack of note saw Leroy Millar blaze over, with Jordan McEneff doing likewise before Jack Keaney saw a free-kick charged down at the other end.

Forced to defend more intently after the break, a smart forward foray from the Reds saw Keevan Hawthorne cross for Conor Falls, whose header was touched on to the bar by Rohan Ferguson.

Paul O’Neill touched an effort wide from close range and Eric McWoods was denied by a last-gasp challenge from Matthew Ridley ahead of Ridd doing well to turn a dangerous drive from Matthew Lusty behind.

McWoods almost capitalised on a loose pass from the Larne defence but saw his first-time attempt from a narrow angle blocked by Ferguson, who was a relieved onlooker when, in the first of four additional minutes at the end, James Simpson sliced Odhran Casey’s cross over his own keeper only to be saved by the crossbar.

Cliftonville: Ridd, Pepper, Addis, Wilson, Falls (Gormley, 80 mins), Glynn (Sheridan, 59 mins), Casey, Keaney, McWoods (Curran, 80 mins), Hawthorne (Lavery, 72 mins), Fapetu. Unused subs: Murray, Leppard, McCay.