IRISH LEAGUE: Ballinamallard take vital points as they see off Cliftonville

It rained goals at Ferney Park last night as Ballinamallard United picked up only their second league win of the season against the team with the second best defensive record, Cliftonville.

The small crowd which braved the rain at Ferney saw 10 goals and a thrilling game from start to finish.

Played on a sticky pitich through heavy rain at times both sides served up one of the games of the season.

Ballinamallard opened at a great pace and were ahead after just 11 minutes.

A brilliant reverse ball from full back Kerr found Hutchinson on the right flank and his driven cross to the back post saw the in-for Ryan Curran control and shoot home.

Cliftonville answered when with a close effort from Rory Donnelly whose effort was brilliantly blocked by defender Matty Smyth.

Then Joe Gormley missed a great chance to level after a good b all from Donnelly.

The home side took a two goal lead on the 21st minute, O’Flynn playing the perfectly weighted pass into the path of Sean Noble to shoot past keeper Neeson.

The Reds answered four minutes later when Ross Lavery shot into the bottom corner with his left foot after the ball had pinged around the home penalty box.

But before the half hour the Mallards restored their two goal cushion.

This time a good clearance by keeper Richard Brush found Stuart Hutchinson wide on the right.

He slipped his marker and delivered to the penalty spot where Stephen O’Flynn, brushed off his marker with a good turn before shooting home.

But the goals flurry didn’t stop there.

In the second half Ballinamallard found themselves 4-1 up when a ball through the middle found O’Flynn.

As he pushed into the penalty box he was upended and Curran converted the spot kick with ease.

Cliftonville weren’t finished though and they pulled one back just four minutes later when Jude Winchester finished well at the far post after good work on the right flank.

The Reds added another within three minutes, Joe Gormley sent straight through the middle against a static home defence to finish well inside the far post.

The goals kept coming and on 73 minutes good work my McGinty on the right flank saw him deliver to the near post area where midfielder James McKenna gathered and shot home into the bottom corner, giving keeper Neeson no chance.

But four minutes later Cliftonville had that goal pegged gack when Joe Gormley controlled in the penalty box and hooked a great volley past keeper Brush and inside the far post.

That made it 5-4 and a nerve wrecking finish for the home fans.

That pressure was eased in the dying seconds of injury time when keeper Neeson intercepted McGinty in the corner, but his clearance found substitute Jonathan Leddy just inside the half way line.

The midfielder took one touch and drove the ball directly back towards the Cliftonville goal and over keeper Neeson’s head to the delight of the home crowd.