Ards 0-2 Glenavon
TEN-MAN Glenavon showed some great resiliency to tough out a 2-0 win away to Ards at the Bangor Fuels Arena and keep up the pressure on the top two.
A first period of half chances saw both sides test the goalkeepers at each end, but neither team had a clear cut opportunity to open the scoring.
However, the hosts got a big boost when Glenavon centre-back Andrew Doyle was given his marching orders after receiving a second yellow, taking the Lurgan Blues down to ten men.
Even with less men, Glenavon were showing their superiority and continued to press on the Ards goal, eventually getting their reward with the opener.
It was Marc Sykes who put Adam Foley in on goal, with the winger putting home a fine finish, and only a minute later the teams were level on players as Johnny Taylor picked up a second booking for the hosts.
That gave the visitors even more momentum and Sykes doubled their lead in spectacular fashion, beating five players in midfield and managing to finish to secure the three points.
Ballymena United 2-1 Ballinamallard United
INJURY depleted Ballymena United heaped further misery on bottom side Ballinamallard United with a 2-1 win at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
It was the hosts who were on top for most of the first half, however they couldn’t make their dominance count as they wasted some good chances to open the scoring.
But they did lead at the interval, a penalty converted by Tony Kane giving them the advantage after a clumsy challenge inside the box.
15 minutes into the second half they doubled their lead, Johnny McMurray firing the cross into the box and Cathair Friel finishing coolly for the Sky Blues.
The Mallards did pull one back with five minutes to go to make it interesting, Gary Armstrong finishing a low cross across the box, but the hosts held on for the three points.
Carrick Rangers 1-3 Coleraine
DESPITE being off-colour, Coleraine maintained their lead at the top of the Danske Bank Premiership with a 3-1 win over Carrick Rangers at the Belfast Loughshore Arena.
It looked like standard fare for the league leaders when they took the lead after just four minutes, midfielder Ciaron Harkin lacing home from the edge of the box.
But the hosts equalised in spectacular fashion, Mark Edgar curling a beautiful free-kick into the top corner leaving Chris Johns with no chance.
The sides were seemingly heading in at the break level, but the Bannsiders had other plans and returning midfielder Brad Lyons rose highest to nod home at a first half injury time corner.
The second half was an even affair up to the 70 minute mark when Coleraine got that key third goal, Jamie McGonigle tapping home after the ball ricocheted off the crossbar to make sure of the win.
Crusaders 1-0 Glentoran
Crusaders looked sluggish early in the game, and they should have been behind when Robbie McDaid took a poor back pass around Brian Jensen only to put it into the side netting.
But the hosts improved as the half went on and they had a chance of their own to equalise, Billy Joe Burns’ free kick nodded inches wide by Jordan Owens just before the half.
Eight minutes into the second half the Crues took the lead, Jordan Forsythe side footing home from the edge of the box after Elliott Morris had make an excellent point blank stop only moments before.
The Glens were handed a lifeline with a quarter of an hour to go when Howard Beverland received a second yellow for trying to block a free-kick, reducing Crusaders to ten men.
But Stephen Baxter’s men held on for the win, which prompted ugly scenes at the end of the game as players and staff from both sides clashed on the halfway line, fortunately with no serious consequences.
Linfield 1-0 Dungannon Swifts
LINFIELD scraped a 1-0 win over Dungannon Swifts at Windsor Park behind yet another impressive goalkeeping performance from Roy Carroll.
Despite Linfield looking the better of the two sides there was nothing to separate them at the break, with the Blues having a few half-chances the most to talk about.
Indeed, it took almost 25 minutes of the second half for the dominant Blues to take the lead, Andy Waterworth getting the goal by heading in a cross from Matty Clarke.
Carroll was in inspired form and pulled off three excellent stops to deny the Swifts an equaliser that perhaps they deserved, with the defending champions holding on for the victory.
Warrenpoint Town 1-3 Cliftonville
BARRY Gray’s Cliftonville continue their stunning form as they grabbed a 3-1 win away to Warrenpoint Town to consolidate their top five spot in the league.
After just a couple of minutes the Reds led, Joe Gormley racing onto a ball beyond the last defender and finishing low into the bottom corner.
Sean Mackle equalised for the hosts in style, finding space in the box and lifting the ball over the advancing Brian Neeson to bring Warrenpoint back to level terms.
But in almost identical fashion Cliftonville retook the lead, this time Rory Donnelly taking the pass through and sliding the ball under the keeper for the go ahead goal.
Try as they might, Warrenpoint couldn’t find an equaliser to steal what would have been an impressive point given the opposition, but instead the visitors ensured the win.
It was another of the Reds’ many Donnellys, Jay, who grabbed the clincher, wandering through the scrambling Point defence to slot home and cap a good win away from home.
No comments:
Post a Comment