Cliftonville were unable to make their chances count as Glentoran claimed a narrow victory in this afternoon’s Sports Direct Premiership clash at The Oval.
Having seen a host of opportunities come and go during a controlled first-half performance, the Reds found openings more difficult to come by after the break but still went close through Ben Wilson on a number of occasions and felt that the hosts should have been reduced to 10 men following Daire O’Connor’s cynical foul on Rory Hale.
A goal from Niall McGinn saw the Glens rewarded for a spell of pressure but Cliftonville might yet have claimed a point, with Wilson again threatening ahead of Kris Lowe and Jack Berry appearing to get in one another’s way during an attempt that whistled just over the top.
Cliftonville: Gartside, Stewart, Addis, Gallagher, Rory Hale (C Curran, 85 mins), Lowe, Doherty, Ashford (Berry, 78 mins), Casey (Pepper, 85 mins), Turner, Wilson. Unused subs: Odumosu, Kenny, Kearney, McGuinness.