Danske Bank Premiership: Crusaders 2 Cliftonville 2
THERE are a lot of points still up for grabs in the Irish League but, as matters stand, it is surely Crusaders' title to lose this season.
The defending champions are eight points clear at the summit and are on a 20-game unbeaten streak in the league. Their only defeat of the campaign came on the opening day, when they lost 2-1 at home to Portadown. Since then, they have won 16 times and drawn four. Their goal difference is a very healthy plus 34, which contrasts sharply with the plus 13 of second-placed Cliftonville.
Those are clear title winning credentials and, on St Stephen's Day with just 15 minutes remaining of their clash with Cliftonville, they looked set to open up an 11-point gap. It is to the credit of Gerard Lyttle's Cliftonville team that they kept battling and eventually salvaged a point from what Crusaders manager Stephen Baxter called "a pulsating match".
That said, it took until the 69th minute for Jordan Forsythe to put the home team in front, before a Billy Joe Burns penalty four minutes later doubled the lead. A superb Davy McDaid free-kick with 14 minutes left halved the deficit, before a looping Jay Donnelly header from a James Knowles free-kick salvaged a point for the Reds.
"I think, when you bring the game all into context, a draw is definitely the fair result," insisted Baxter.
"We were two goals to the good with maybe 15 or 20 minutes left and really, in that position, you should see the game out, but we didn’t do enough. It was a wonderful free-kick [from McDaid]. You can’t legislate for that and then the ball into the back post disappoints you for the equaliser - we normally deal with all of that. But that’s life and that’s where it’s at. It was a pulsating game of football and I think everybody enjoyed the game."
Understandably, although neutral observers are tipping the Shore Road men to make it back-to-back titles from what is a commanding position, Baxter is cautious about such talk - pointing out that a bad run, such as that recently suffered by their opponents on New Year's Day, can be just around the corner.
"I think in football you should never get too far ahead of it," said Baxter.
"Linfield went on a run of four defeats, which is 12 points and that can happen to you very, very quickly. But certainly, if you’d offered me eight points at the start of the season at Christmas - I’d have broken your hand off for it, so we’ll take what’s in front of us and say we’re grateful for them, but we know that this league has got such a long way to go."
The injured Paul Heatley was out for the Crues on Saturday and will be absent for the next three weeks. Baxter conceded last season's player-of-the-year is a big miss: "We miss him a lot," admitted Baxter.
"He’s the sort of guy that has been the great outlet threat for us and we missed his trickery and his pace and his goals in the game on Saturday. But you have to deal with those things when they come your way - he’s going to be out for three weeks, so we knew that and it’s part and parcel of the game."
As for the Windsor Park clash with third-placed Linfield, Baxter sees it as a must-win affair for David Healy's men: "They’ll be buoyed by their result on Saturday [a 2-1 defeat of Glentoran]. They’ll go in with a lot of focus because they really, really need to win the game," he said.
"So that is motivation in itself, so we have to cope with that again and deal with it. Linfield have had to deal with that for many years - people hunting them down, so we’ll be up for the game, no question about that and, as I say, their motivation to win will be high and they haven’t beaten us for a while."
Elsewhere on Saturday, an injury-time header from Rhys Marshall gave Glenavon the points in the mid-Ulster derby against Portadown while two goals from Jamie McGonigle were enough for Coleraine to win their derby clash with Ballymena United on a 2-1 scoreline. United's goal was a spectacular effort from the Crusaders-bound David Cushley. Warrenpoint Town and Carrick Rangers played a out a 1-1 draw at Milltown. Carrick were in front in the 17th minute through a Daniel Kelly header before Sean Donnelly equalised on 33.
An 89th minute equaliser from Gary Liggett earned Dungannon a point against Ballinamallard United, who had taken the lead in the 35th minute through James McKenna and, in the rain delayed kick-off, Linfield beat Glentoran 2-1. Niall Quinn put Linfield in front from a free-kick just before half-time. Paul Smyth doubled the advantage on the hour and Jonathan Smith pulled one back for the Glens.
