Off chance

Cliftonville 1-2 Glentoran

Cliftonville paid the price for failing to make their chances count as Glentoran emerged on top from this afternoon’s Boyle Sports Premiership meeting at Solitude.

After a stunning Dean McMaster free-kick had cancelled out Jack Malone’s opener, the Reds saw a host of opportunities come and go before the visitors wrestled momentum back in their direction and eventually won it when Jordan Jenkins slammed home with seven minutes remaining.

There was barely a minute on the clock when Alex Bannon forced Glens keeper Andrew Mills into a save, while PJ Morrison had to be alert to turn a fierce Jordan Stewart blast around the post.

The deadlock was broken a couple of minutes later, however, when a breakdown in communication at the back resulted in Ross Clarke sending in a cross that Malone met to nod home.

Cliftonville almost levelled just before the half-hour when Liam McStravick raced into a shooting position only to be denied by Mills, who was beaten shortly afterwards when McMaster struck a beauty of a free-kick to level the score.

Mills denied McStravick again before Brian Healy lashed an attempt just over the top as the Reds ended the first-half strongly.

After the interval, both Rory Hale and Keevan Hawthorne called Mills into action before Clarke twice tried his luck at the other end.

Healy then came close to making the most of an undercooked backpass from Marcus Kane but was unable to steer his first-time strike below the bar, much to the relief of Mills, whose save from Ben Quinn ensured the contest remained all square before Shaun Leppard turned McMaster’s corner delivery against the woodwork.

Substitute Jenkins had twice gone close to restoring Glentoran’s advantage before getting things right at the third time of asking when he was on hand to strike home from close range after Kane had returned a partially-cleared corner into the danger area.

A foul on Hale earned Malone’s second booking of the game and, up against 10 men for the final few minutes, Cliftonville carved out three opportunities to claim a point with Rhyss Campbell’s strike from the edge of the box fielded by Mills, who also gathered two Leppard headers.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Samuels (Conlan, 20 mins), Campbell, Hale, Healy, Leppard, McClelland, McMaster, Quinn (Gormley, 71 mins), Bannon, McStravick (Hawthorne, 63 mins). Unused subs: Cremen-Cowan, Wightman, O’Connor, Thompson.