BANNSIDERS FIGHT BACK FOR A POINT

Coleraine fought back from two goals down to earn a point from this visit to league leaders Cliftonville.

The sides traded chances during the opening exchanges. Matthew Shevlin threatened early on for the visitors but couldn't get a clean connection on the ball while, for the Reds, Rory Hale saw a long range effort saved by Martin Gallagher.

Cliftonville moved in front after 11 minutes when Ronan Hale had a go from around 25 yards wide on the right, with keeper Gallagher allowing the ball to slip past him at the near post and into the net.

The Reds might have doubled their advantage midway through the first half after Rory Hale went one-on-one with Gallagher but the Bannsiders' custodian atoned for his earlier error to save well.

At the other end Conor McKendry failed to make the most of a Conor McDermott cross before, later in the half at the other end, Jamie McDonagh was denied Cliftonville's second by the alertness of defender Rodney Brown.

Cliftonville did add a second just before the hour after Ronan Doherty found the net straight from a corner when it bypassed everything to enter the net at the left post.

Coleraine pulled a goal back on 64 minutes. Defender Jonny Addis was adjudged to have brought down Shevlin into the area, and from the subsequent spot-kick the Coleraine striker stepped up to fire into the bottom corner.

Then, just a couple of minutes after that, Shevlin levelled for the Bannsiders after receiving the ball from Jamie Glackin from the left.

The home side pushed hard to regain the lead but were thwarted by Gallagher. He kept out Joe Gormley's shot across goal from a Kris Lowe pass, then saved from Ronan Hale while Dean Jarvis blocked the follow up before again saving from Gormley at the near post.

Cliftonville: Gartside, Ives, Addis, Gallagher, Rory Hale, McDonagh, Lowe, R. Doherty, Turner, Ronan Hale, Moore subs G. Doherty, C. Curran, R. Curran, Parkhouse, Robinson, Gormley, Casey

Coleraine: Gallagher, Kane, D. Jarvis, Brown, McKendry, Carson, O’Donnell, Lynch, Glackin, McDermott, Shevlin subs Deane, A. Jarvis, McCrudden, Fyfe, Farren, O’Mahony, Scott