Ballymena United travel to face Cliftonville FC this Saturday in a key Premiership fixture. The match at Solitude offers the Sky Blues a chance to build on a positive result from last weekend.
Ballymena United head into the game with some momentum after a 2-0 home win over Portadown. Fraser Thorndike and Igor Rutkowski scored the goals in that victory. Their recent form shows one win, three draws, and one loss from the last five outings, leaving them ninth in the table with nine points from eight games.
The last two league meetings between these sides both ended in 2-2 draws, in March and January of this year. Cliftonville, however, won the most recent competitive match 4-1 in the County Antrim Shield last November. The Reds currently sit seventh, three points ahead of Ballymena, but have lost their last three league games.
Igor Rutkowski has been in good scoring form, netting in each of the last two matches. The team's last starting lineup featured David Walsh in goal with a defensive unit of Demba Toure, Michael Glynn, Scot Whiteside, and Festus Sule. The squad will be looking to continue their improved defensive record, having conceded just 11 goals so far this season. Check the latest team news and availability on our squad page. The match kicks off at 3pm local time on Saturday, October 3rd.
