HALE GOAL ENOUGH FOR REDS
Ronan Hale bagged the only goal of the game as Cliftonville defeated Newry City at Solitude.
The Reds might have moved in front as early as the third minute only for Ben Wilson to send the ball wide after facing keeper Tom Murphy one-on-one.
Murphy then produced a great save after a quarter-of-an-hour to deny Wilson again after Stephen Mallon had darted down the left before delivering a cross.
But the deadlock was broken midway through the first half when Hale was played through by brother Rory to run through the defence and fire into the left corner.
Newry might have levelled before te break when Adam Carroll was denied by the legs of keeper David Odumosu, before the Reds custodian then thwarted Adam Salley.
And the visitors came even closer after that when Jordan Mooney acrobatically tested Odumosu, who responded in similar fashion to protect the home advantage.
Cliftonville came within a whisker of doubling their lead early in the second half only for Wilson to send a left-foot effort against the woodwork, with Ronan Hale's following up blocked.
Substitute Joe Gormley also came close later in the game after connecting with a Chris Curran ball only for Murphy to prove equal to the challenge.
Cliftonville: Odumosu, Addis, Kenny, Gallagher, Rory Hale, Mallon, Doherty, Turner, Ronan Hale, Kearney, Wilson subs Gartside, Pepper, Curran, Gormley, Ashford, McGuinness, Berry
Newry City: Murphy, King, McGivern, McKeown, C. O’Connor, Carroll, Lockhart, Salley, Bagnall, Forde, Poynton subs Maguire, M. O’Connor, McCaul, Newell, Mooney, Owens, McGovern
Substitution 
Substitution 
