Joe Gormley scored a brace as Cliftonville saw off Coleraine 2-1 in a hard-fought victory this evening at Solitude in the Sports Direct Premiership.
The win means Jim Magilton’s side leapfrog the Bannsiders into fifth position in the table, after picking up their first league win in five attempts.
Gormley scored a first-half opener from the spot, but Coleraine equalised through Jamie McGonigle before the break.
Just after the hour mark Gormley struck once more to bring the visitors back down to Earth after their fantastic win over Ballymena United at the weekend.
In a lively opening, it was the visitors who settled quicker, and they had their first opportunity after only four minutes.
Jack Scott got on the end of a corner which was deflected goalwards by Graham Kelly, but Cliftonville goalkeeper David Odumosu reacted superbly to palm the ball away and recovered seconds later to deny Matthew Shevlin from the rebound.
Despite the Bannsiders applying the pressure it was the hosts who bagged the opener from the penalty spot on 18 minutes.
After Rory Hale was brought down by Kelly inside the box, Gormley stepped up to blast the ball high into the net to the delight of the home crowd.
However, just as Cliftonville began to settle into the game they were rocked by a Coleraine equaliser just 12 minutes later.
Shea Kearney had his pocket picked by Jamie Glackin who ran towards a retreating home defence.
Once inside the area, the playmaker slid the ball to the supporting McGonigle, and the ex-Derry City man fired home from a tight angle.
Gormley almost scored his second just after the restart but failed to beat the Bannsiders’ keeper Max Little after being put through on goal.
However, the Reds’ legend would double his tally on 66 minutes when he grabbed his team’s second of the night.
The visiting defence failed to deal with a high ball into the box and when it fell to Gormley just six yards out, the striker wasn’t going to miss another opportunity as he fired into the net.
Dean Shiels’ men could have grabbed an equaliser in the dying minutes, but Matthew Shevlin failed to hit the target with a header from only eight yards out, as the hosts hung on for victory.
