RONAN HITS THE MARK FOR THE REDS
Cliftonville hit three goals without reply past Ballymena United at Solitude.
The Reds almost moved in front on 11 minutes when Sean Stewart laid the ball back for Ben Wilson only for his shot to be turned onto the crossbar by United 'keeper Sean O'Neill.
Jim Magilton's side continued to press, and came close again from a Stewart pass for Ben Wylie to fire just over the top.
Cliftonville struck the woodwork again on the half-hour mark with Wilson crossing from the right for Ronan Hale to nod against the bar.
But Hale wasn't to be denied just a few minutes later when he stepped up to convert from the spot into the bottom corner after Dylan Boyle was adjudged to have upended Stewart.
Ballymena came out positively after the break, with Fraser Taylor doing well to work his way into the area only to see his subsequent effort kept out by David Odumosu.
However the Reds doubled their lead on the hour with Hale's second of the afternoon, squeezing the ball beneath the visiting keeper after collecting a pass from Joe Gormley.
Then, with just over ten minutes to go, Ronan Doherty completed the scoring after getting past Kym Nelson before curling a well executed finish into the top corner.
Cliftonville: Odumosu, Stewart, Addis, Curran, Doherty, Casey, Hale, Kearney, Wilson, McGuinness, Wylie subs Gartside, Pepper, Kenny, Jordan, Gordon, Gormley, Corrigan
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Nelson, Whiteside, Waide, McCullough, F. Taylor, McGrory, Tennant, Boyle, Brown, Place subs Johnston, Friel, O’Boyle, D. Taylor, McAuley, Stewart, Mallon
Substitution 
Substitution 
