ONE TO SAVOUR
Ross Black clears from Ryan Catney
JUST one goal on this occasion – but substitute Joe Gormley’s wonder strike was good enough to eclipse any of the 17 goals these two sides served up in their previous two meetings this season.
If the quality of the rookie frontman’s strike was beyond question, his timing wasn’t bad either – just four minutes from the end of an intriguing tussle which had looked liked somehow ending scoreless.
Just five minutes after stepping off the bench, Gormley picked up a headed clearance from Johnny Taylor 25 yards from goal and fired a left-footed thunderbolt which was still rising as it soared past the despairing dive of keeper Dwayne Nelson.
“Sometimes those changes work, sometimes they don’t, but that one did,” grinned Reds boss Tommy Breslin, after a result which keeps his side on the coat-tails of Linfield in the race for the Carling Premiership title.
“He’s a quality finisher. Joe does strike a good ball and he’ll always get you goals.
“It was probably going to take something a bit special because we hadn’t really done enough to win it up to then.
“I thought we played in fits and starts and some of our play was very careless in and around the 18-yard box.
“We’ve 10 games left and we’ll just give it our best shot in each and every one of them and see where it takes us.
“What we have to do now is not think about it too much and concentrate on each game as they come.
“The players are good, honest players – they always go right to the end and hopefully they can carry on that form until the end of the season,” added Breslin.
It was tough on Ballymena who resisted some stiff Cliftonville pressure in the second half but who would have been worthy of a point as they continue to improve under Glenn Ferguson’s leadership.
Having said that, they were thankful to keeper Nelson for a couple of fine stops, while the visitors felt aggrieved at having a couple of penalty decisions turned down.
Ballymena’s best opening came after Taylor had headed a Gary McCutcheon corner against the post and Allan Jenkins was unable to force the rebound past Reds keeper John Connolly from virtually on the goal-line.
For United boss Ferguson it was a horrible case of deja vu after watching his side succumb to a late winner from the ‘wonder goal’ category for the second time in a week following Matthew Paget’s spectacular winner for Portadown in midweek.
“We under under a bit of pressure at the start of the second half but I didn’t think either side deserved to win or lose and I thought on reflection a draw would have been a fair result.
“I’m disappointed but we’re going to stay positive going into a run of games where we believe we can pick some points up against teams in and around us.
“I firmly believe if we keep doing the right things in training and in matches and doing them well, things will turn,” added Ferguson.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
