Cliftonville

2

Linfield

2

REDS FAIL TO SECURE A PLACE IN EUROPE

18th Apr 2015

Cliftonville missed out on securing European football next season following this home draw with Linfield.

Joe Gormley opened the scoring for the Reds after eight minutes when he sent Johnny Tuffey the wrong way from the spot after David McDaid had been upended in the box.

Linfield levelled eight minutes after that through Michael Carvill when, from Ivan Sproule's right-sided cross, he tucked the ball into the bottom left corner.

The Blues then moved in front just short of the half-hour mark through Aaron Burns after another Sproule cross from the right to the back post.

But Gormley got Cliftonville back on level terms four minutes later with a close range header into the top right corner following Martin Donnelly's cross.

Carvill came close to restoring Linfield's lead on 54 minutes with a curling effort from the edge of the area just past the post.

At the other end Tomas Cosgrove offered up a back post header which failed to hit the target while Jay Donnelly later carried the ball from the halfway line before firing straight at Tuffey from the edge of the area.

Linfield finished on top with Andrew Waterworth firing just wide on 85 minutes after bringing the ball in from the right before Matthew Clarke saw a later effort blocked as the ball looked goal bound.

Cliftonville: Cherrie, McGovern, Scannell, McMullan, McDaid, M. Donnelly, Knowles, Catney, Gormley, Cosgrove, Bonner subs Seydak (not used), Winchester (replaced M. Donnelly 76), J. Donnelly (replaced McMullan 55), McGrandles (not used), Keke (replaced Keke 82)

Linfield: Tuffey, Belezika, Haughey, Hegarty, Callacher, Waterworth, Lowry, Carvill, Burns, Sproule, M. Clarke subs Morrow (not used), Thompson (not used), Ward (replaced Hegarty 55), R. Clarke (replaced Sproule 63), Ross Glendinning (not used)

Referee: Arnold Hunter

Attendance: 1352

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