Week six saw a shorted fixture list due to the Irn Bru cup. Linfield moves to the top of the pile, Cliftonville get back to winning ways and Dylan Davidson’s wonder strike helped Glentoran move up into third.
Cliftonville 3 – 0 Institute
Friday night saw Cliftonville get back to winning ways with a comprehensive win over Institute. Cliftonville got off to the perfect start with the opening goal in six minutes. Jamie McGovern sent a long throw into the box, the Institute defence could not deal with it and Ryan Curran took full advantage to turn the ball home to score his first senior goal for the club.
Number two came in the ninth minute and what a goal it was. McGovern to Jay Donnelly, Donnelly to Curran who produced a wonder flick around the corner to Donnelly who crosses to Joe Gormley to finish. Cliftonville killed the game off as a contest at 66 minutes. Joe Gormley finished off a cross from the right to make five goals for the season and put him to the top of the scoring charts.
Glentoran 4 – 1 Newry City
Glentoran moved to third place on Friday evening with a comprehensive win over Newry – who have yet to register any points on the road this season. Glentoran got the first goal in the 29th minute. A perfect flick around the corner from John McGuigan saw the ball move into the path of Curtis Allen who finished low past the Newry keeper.
Goal number two followed three minutes later when Allen became the provider. Allen delivered a low ball into the box and, after some calamity defending, the ball fell to Robbie McDaid whose first effort hit the post. The ball came back to McDaid and this time he made no mistake to put the ball past the keeper.
Goal number three came in the 49th minute and it was Newry that pulled one back. From a corner, the ball fell to Conal Delaney who slotted the ball home, past a number of Glentoran defenders on the line. Marcus Kane finished off a Ross Redman corner in the 60th minute. Redman delivers the corner into the penalty area where Kane arrived unopposed to finish.
Number four in the 82nd minute was worth the gate receipt alone. Dylan Davidson picked the ball up from all of 35 yards out a realised a rocket into the top corner of the Newry net. Newry got a consolation penalty but Stephen Hughes hit the post.
Warrenpoint Town 0 – 5 Linfield
Linfield moved back to the top of the league on Friday evening with a well-earned win at the Q Radio Arena. It took Linfield three minutes to open the scoring. Warrenpoint defender Simon Kelly turning the ball into his own net under no real pressure.
Daniel Kearns added number two in the 36th minute after another defensive mix up left Kearns with the easiest of finishes. In the 53rd minute, Micheal O’Connor made it three when he got himself an Andrew Mitchell cross. His goalwards header was saved at the first attempt but O’Connor made sure with the second.
In the 58th minute, Warrenpoint’s evening went from bad to worse. Debutant goalkeeper Aaron McCarey signed from Ross County was dismissed for bringing down Joel Cooper. Mitchell stepped up and converted the penalty. Andrew Waterworth completed the scoring in the 90th minute, rounding the keeper and placing the ball into an empty net.
