REDS MISS OUT ON CHANCE TO GO TOP

Cliftonville missed out on the chance to move to the top of the table following a scoreless draw at home to Larne.

The point leaves the Reds one adrift of leaders Linfield with three games remaining after the Blues had been held at home by Glentoran on Friday evening.

Jamie McDonagh almost opened the scoring for Cliftonville with around a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock only for his effort from the edge of the box to come rattling back off the crossbar.

Larne threatened midway through the first half but Ben Doherty's effort from a Lee Bonis cross was comfortably held by Luke McNicholas.

McDonagh had another chance soon after but he hesitated when through on goal, followed by a Kris Lowe effort from the edge of the box which he sent over.

The visitors might have broken through not long before half-time. Navid Nasseri found Tomas Cosgrove who, in turn, knocked in a low cross for Bonis only for defender Jonny Addis to nip in just in time to clear the danger.

And Larne had another two chances early in the second half, both coming via substitute David McDaid.

He tested McNicholas with an effort from a Mark Randall through ball and then, from the follow-up, was denied by a superb Luke Turner clearance of the line.

Then, moments later, McDaid beat a couple of challenge to fire a low shot from just outside the area which McNicholas once again pushed away to safety.

At the other end Levi Ives sent a low cross from the right across the face of goal but Joe Gormley just failed to make the connection that would have inevitably knocked the ball over the line.

McDaid struck the woodwork for Larne with 15 minutes remaining but it wouldn't have counted after being ruled out offside.

Cliftonville then had a late chance through Rory Hale only for his curling effort to go over but, in the end, the Reds had to settle for a point.

Cliftonville: McNicholas, Ives, R. Curran, McDonagh, Lowe, Addis, Doherty, Gormley, Turner, Gallagher, Kearns subs McKenna (not used), McDermott (replaced Lowe 52), C. Curran (replaced McDonagh 67), Hale (replaced Kearns 67), O’Neill (replaced Doherty 76), Donnelly (not used), Coates (not used)

Larne: Ferguson, Balmer, Kelly, Watson, Sule, Herron, Nasseri, Randall, Doherty, Bonis, Cosgrove subs Devlin (not used), Hale (replaced Randall 76), McDaid (replaced Bonis 45), Lynch (replaced Nasseri 62), Mitchell (replaced Herron 87), Hughes (not used), Jarvis (replaced Kelly 87)