Home comfort for for Cliftonville Ladies, Glentoran Women, Linfield Women and Lisburn Rangers… Sports Direct Women’s Premiership round-up

Cliftonville goal celebration (Picture: Diaman Toolan)

THERE was no shortage of home comfort on offer as the latest round of Sports Direct Women’s Premiership action resulted in victories in their own backyards for Cliftonville Ladies, Glentoran Women, Linfield Women and Lisburn Rangers.

Glentoran edged to a narrow victory over Larne Women at the Blanchflower Stadium in the second meeting between the sides this week.

The league leaders swept to a comfortable win on Monday night but they found Daniel Carlisle’s side a much tougher proposition this time around and, indeed, were held scoreless at the break by a gritty defensive performance despite numerous attempts on goal.

In fact, it took the Glens until the 76th minute to eventually find a way through with what turned out to be the only goal of the game when substitute Nadene Caldwell – only on the pitch a matter of moments – slotted home from close range after connecting with an inviting ball from fellow substitute Faye Loughran.

Cliftonville got the better of Crusaders Strikers by the odd goal in three in the North Belfast derby at Solitude.

The Reds led at the break when, after just nine minutes, skipper Caitlin McGuinness bagged what was her 100th goal for the club after Fionnuala Morgan had returned a Kirsty McGuinness corner back into the box.

The defending champions then doubled their advantage just after the hour courtesy of a solo effort from Naomi McLaughlin after she sold the Crues defence a dummy to fire past Maddy Harvey-Clifford from the edge of the area.

Crusaders did pull one back with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining through Alison McMaster’s finish past Rachael Norney on the counter-attack but it wasn’t enough to deny Cliftonville the points.

Linfield turned in another five-star performance as they swept to a crushing defeat of Derry City Women at Midgley Park.

The Blues raced into a two-goal lead midway through the first half when Eve Reilly, now the league’s leading scorer, found the net twice in eight minutes.

Tara O’Connor-Farren did pull one back for the Candystripes soon after but Zoe McGlynn restored Linfield’s comfortable cushion just before the break.

That was how it stayed until six minutes from time when substitute Rebecca Bassett knocked home Linfield’s fourth, with Cora Chambers putting the icing on the cake in the closing moments.

Meanwhile, Lisburn Rangers needed just one goal to defeat Lisburn Ladies in the derby at Crewe Park.

Scoreless at the break, what proved to be the winner arrived midway through the second half when substitute Molly Loughran found the net after being teed up by Gracie Conway.