Match Report | Cliftonville vs Carrick Rangers | Danske Bank Premiership | Saturday 20th August
Having led at the break, two controversial second half decisions to award a penalty and brandish a straight red card, both against the 'Gers, turned this game on its head.
The trip to Solitude could not have got off to a worse start for Stuart King’s side as Cliftonville managed to take the lead straight from kick-off.
After a couple of passes inside the centre circle, a ball over the top picked out Ronan Hale whose acrobatic finish beat Ross Glendinning, with Rangers’ appeals for offside being waved away.
The Reds looked to add to their tally, with Stephen Mallon and Ronan Hale causing problems down the wings.
Glendinning had little to deal with, however, other than a sweetly struck free-kick which he kept out with a diving save to his right.
Carrick opted to change their approach as Aodhan Gillen made way for Mark Surgenor, and just a minute after that switch they drew level.
Reece Glendinning played a free-kick quickly to Curtis Allen down the right who beat his man before delivering a pinpoint cross for Lloyd Anderson to head into the bottom corner.
Then, on the stroke of half time, the away side took the lead. From a free-kick, Andy Mitchell laid the ball off for David Cushley whose low strike deflected off Ryan Curran to wrong foot Nathan Gartside and creep in.
Following the interval, Allen had an opportunity when he was played through by Anderson but from an acute angle he could only direct his effort straight at Gartside.
Minutes later, the home side were awarded a penalty after Luke Turner fell in the penalty area; referee Declan Hassan adjudging that Mark Surgenor had impeded him.
Curran stepped up to the spot and from 12 yards dispatched the kick to restore parity.
Just after the hour mark, Surgenor’s afternoon would come to a premature end as referee Hassan showed him a straight red card following a tackle on Mallon.
Cliftonville made the most of their numerical advantage soon after as substitute Joe Gormley turned the ball in from close range to give his side the lead.
Rangers thought they had found an equaliser when Ben Tilney raced down the left and dispatched a low shot past Gartside, only to see it ruled out for offside and ultimately leave North Belfast with nothing to show for their efforts.
Cliftonville: Gartside; Lowe, Addis, Coates, Turner; Gallagher, Doherty, Hale; Mallon, R. Curran, Hale.
Unused substitutes: Talley, C. Curran, Casey, Moore.
Carrick Rangers: Glendinning; Glendinning (Kalla, 72), Stewart, Ervin, Tilney; Mitchell, Cushley; Anderson; Gawne (Mulholland, 66), Allen (McGuckin, 72), Gillen (Surgenor, 38).
Unused substitutes: Hogg, McKiernan, Waite.
Referee: Declan Hassan
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