Cliftonville FC lost 2-0 to Dungannon Swifts in a Boyle Sports Premiership match at Solitude on Saturday. The Reds played with ten men for most of the game after Harry Wilson was sent off five minutes before half-time.
This defeat leaves Cliftonville seventh in the Premiership table with six points from four games, according to the latest standings. Their recent form reads LLWW, and they have scored five goals while conceding four so far this season. The club reported the match details on its official website.
Why was Harry Wilson sent off?
Referee Shane Andrews showed Wilson a straight red card in the 40th minute. The decision was for a challenge on Dungannon Swifts midfielder Gael Bigirimana. Playing a man down for over 85 minutes proved a major obstacle for Cliftonville. They had to reorganise their defence and their game plan was disrupted from that moment.
What happened after the red card?
Cliftonville's difficulties increased early in the second half when goalkeeper PJ Morrison was injured. He was substituted in the 49th minute, making way for 16-year-old Matthew Belshaw to make his senior debut. The young goalkeeper was called into action immediately. Dungannon defender Danny Wallace missed a point-blank header and fell on top of Morrison, which led to the injury. Shortly after Belshaw came on, Brian Healy had a goal controversially ruled out for offside. Rory Hale then missed a shooting chance as Cliftonville almost scored.
Dungannon Swifts took full advantage of their numerical superiority. Kealan Dillon opened the scoring on the hour mark, assisted by Paul Doyle. Sean McAllister added a second goal shortly after, leaving 25 minutes still to play. Cliftonville manager Paddy McLaughlin responded with a triple substitution in the 66th minute, bringing on Sheridan, Thompson and Hawthorne for Hale, Quinn and McStravick. Joe Gormley replaced Brian Healy five minutes later.
Where does this leave Cliftonville in the league?
The loss means Cliftonville now sit four points behind league leaders Coleraine FC. Their next fixture is a significant test, a home match against that same Coleraine side on December 12th. You can view the full schedule on the club's fixtures page. The team will need to regroup quickly after a match where they faced considerable adversity.
The starting lineup featured Morrison in goal, with Wightman, Samuels, Wilson and Hale in defence. Healy, McClelland, McMaster, Quinn, Bannon and McStravick completed the outfield ten. Unused substitutes on the day were O'Connor and Conlan. The club will hope for better fortune and a full squad for the challenges ahead, with current player availability listed on the injuries page.
