Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Sky Blues are sixth shooters
BALLYMENA United enhanced their top six prospects in the
Premiership with an impressive 2-1 win over Cliftonville at Solitude.
Two former Reds – striker Johnny Mcmurray and defender Johnny Flynn – did the damage with goals in either half.
Victory eases the Sky Blues, who lie seventh in the table, to within four points of sixth-placed Glentoran, with a crucial game in hand.
Ballymena face the Glens in a six pointer at The Oval on Friday night before completing their pre-split schedule at home to struggling Ballinamallard on Monday.
Cliftonville’s Jay Donnelly rattled the bar early on before United took the lead on 38 minutes.
It came in bizarre fashion, Mcmurray appearing to wrong foot himself in a one-on-one with Brian Neeson; his resulting effort sending the Reds keeper the wrong way.
Rory Donnelly also struck the bar for Cliftonville, before United made it 2-0 on 72 minutes, Flynn smashing home a Tony
Kane delivery following a short Steven Mccullough corner.
Cliftonville, who had won their previous three matches, teed up a dramatic finish when Jamie Harney forced home his fourth goal of the season in the 91st minute.
But it wasn’t to be for Barry Gray’s men, who played out the last 15 minutes with 10 men after defender Garry Breen was stretchered off with all three substitutions already made.