CLIFTONVILLE moved two points behind Larne and into second place in the table with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Glentoran at Solitude on Tuesday night.
The east Belfast outfit were the dominant side over the course of the 90 minutes but conceded against the run of play when Kris Lowe’s deflected effort hit the net with little over 10 minutes remaining.
Mick McDermott’s side were unable to hit back in the closing stages as they fell to their second defeat against the Reds in the space of a month.
Coming off the back of their 4-1 win over Portadown at the weekend, Paddy McLaughlin was forced into one alteration as Ronan Doherty dropped out with a chest infection and he was replaced by Jonny Addis in the starting 11.
Seanan Clucas returned for visitors Glentoran, playing their first game since December 6 after fixtures against Glenavon and Carrick Rangers fell victim to the recent freeze.
Cliftonville were first to threaten when Ronan Hale’s snapshot was parried by Aaron McCarey – the follow-up fell to Joe Gormley whose header was off target.
At the other end ex-Cliftonville striker Rory Donnelly stabbed an effort wide of the target, just after the quarter-hour mark. Aaron Wightman and Bobby Burns put two teasing crosses into the area, eventually Danny Purkis hitting a snapshot into the side-netting.
Midway through the half, Clucas collected a pass in midfield from Terry Devlin and got himself into a shooting position, though his effort was straight down the throat of Nathan Gartside.
Sean Murray then tried his luck from range, again Gartside collected under little pressure and at the break a largely uneventful half ended scoreless.
The second period started as the first ended with Glentoran on the front foot as Purkis sent in a telling cross which evaded Rory Donnelly in the area.
Aaron Wightman then slipped a pass through to Clucas, though Gartside was quickly out to gather ahead of the midfielder.
Just after the hour mark a long pass picked out Rory Donnelly whose goal-bound effort was cleared off the line and behind by Luke Turner but the resulting corner came to nothing.
Cliftonville upped the ante approaching the final quarter of an hour,
Ronan Hale picked out Gormley with a long pass, but the striker’s shot took a deflection off Burns and McCarey was able to collect.
The hosts were seeing plenty more possession and with little over 10 minutes remaining they broke the deadlock.
Moore used his pace and confidently took on Rhys Marshall. It looked as if the youngster had over-run the ball though he did just enough to guide a lay-off into the path of Lowe whose shot took a deflection on the way to the net.
Lowe then whipped in a cross-come-shot that flashed inches past the post moments later and at the other end a Purkis near-post shot was turned behind by Gartside and the resulting corner again posed no danger.
Glentoran’s late pressure came to nothing as Cliftonville held on for all three points and the Solitude side moved two points behind leaders Larne at the league summit ahead of the St Stephen’s Day fixtures.
