Cliftonville FC's winless run stretched to five matches after a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Coleraine FC in the Premiership on Saturday. Shevlin's 13th-minute strike proved decisive, handing the Reds their latest setback in a difficult run of form.
The early goal set the tone at The Showgrounds. Cliftonville struggled to find a consistent response, with their best efforts either blocked or saved by a resolute Coleraine defence. The visitors made four second-half substitutions in an attempt to turn the game around, introducing the likes of Conlan and Gormley, but a clear-cut equaliser remained elusive.
Discipline became an issue as the contest wore on. Leppard and Wilson were both shown yellow cards for Cliftonville, while Coleraine's Shevlin, Doherty and Slevin also went into the referee's book. The result leaves Cliftonville in ninth place with 12 points from 11 games, a full 16 points behind league leaders Coleraine.
This loss mirrors a similar pattern from their previous outing, a 1-0 home defeat to Ballymena United. The team now faces a key home fixture to try and halt this slide. They will host 11th-placed Portadown at Solitude next Saturday, a side they beat 3-1 in the reverse fixture earlier this season. Kick-off against Portadown is scheduled for 6pm local time.
