Last Time Out

THE woodwork would be hit at both ends as Coleraine and Cliftonville played out a goalless draw back in November…

Date:

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Result:

Coleraine 0-0 Cliftonville

Report: 

Stalemate at a bitterly cold Showgrounds this afternoon.

There was nothing to separate the two teams who gave their all in testing conditions.

A point apiece was the right outcome in front of another big crowd which braved the elements.

It was almost a sensational start when “keeper Luke McNicholas failed to clear his lines after just sixty seconds but Cliftonville eventually cleared the danger after Conor McKendry’s effort had been blocked.

A couple of inviting Josh Carson crosses caused anxiety in the visitors defence as the home side kept up the pressure.

It was Joe Gormley who posed Cliftonville’s first threat on the quarter hour mark but his shot was deflected past the post by an important Stevie O’Donnell block.

Daniel Kearns and Gormley opened up the defence again on 21 minutes but Kearns was well off target with his effort.

The game swung from end to end but chances were at a premium as both defences held firm.

McKendry made space for himself on 35 minutes but his shot lacked the power to trouble McNicholas.

As the half drew to a close there were opportunities at both ends.

First McNicholas made a super 43rd minute stop to deny Matthew Shevlin, before O’Donnell made another timely block to turn Gormley’ s shot over the crossbar sixty seconds before half time.

Jamie Glackin got a brief sighting of goal when McKendry’s low cross fell to him ten minutes after the restart but his shot was quickly charged down.

Eoin Bradley was introduced on 62 minutes and almost made a dramatic impact within sixty seconds.

Josh Carson played him in and the striker’s dink over McNicholas bounced off the crossbar.

Cliftonville then had a great chance to break the deadlock.

Gareth Deane signed a new contract on Friday and proved his worth on 78 minutes with a superb point blank save to keep out Johnny Addis after he had first hit the post.

That proved to be the last meaningful action as a hard fought encounter ended scoreless.

Line-ups:

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, Brown, McKendry, Lowry, Carson (Jarvis ‘79 mins), O’Donnell, Glackin (Wilson ‘83 mins), Traynor, Kelly (Bradley ‘62 mins), Shevlin (Friel ‘79 mins).

Subs Not Used: Henderson (GK), Mullan, Parkhill.

CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, Ives, R. Curran, McDonagh (McDermott ‘81 mins), Lowe, Donnelly, Addis, Gormley, Turner, Gallagher (C. Curran ‘69 mins) Kearns (O’Neill ‘81 mins).

Subs Not Used: Dunne (GK), Harney, Doherty, Coates.

Referee:

Ian McNabb