Igor Rutkowski's second-half goal gave Ballymena United a 1-0 win over ten-man Cliftonville at Solitude on Saturday. The result marks the first time this season the Sky Blues have secured consecutive victories in the Irish Premiership.
Rutkowski, the 22-year-old forward, struck in the 58th minute, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box and smashing it home. It was his fifth league goal of the campaign and his 16th in 25 matches since joining from Armagh City in January. The win lifts Ballymena to ninth in the table with nine points from eight games, a welcome boost after a mixed start.
The match turned just before half-time when Cliftonville's teenage defender Paul Stanfield, making his full Premiership debut at 17, received a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time. The hosts had created the better chances in the opening period, with Rhyss Campbell seeing a low shot crash off the inside of the post and Brian Healy forcing a sharp block from Kodi Lyons-Foster.
Ballymena grew into the game after the break and found their winner through their in-form striker. Caoimhin McConnell's initial effort was blocked, but Rutkowski was first to the rebound. Cliftonville, now on a run of four straight league defeats, pushed for an equaliser late on. Substitute Liam McStravick was denied by a vital stop from David Walsh, and a late collision between Healy and Walsh saw referee Steven Gregg award a goal kick rather than a penalty.
Ballymena boss Oran Kearney highlighted the importance of stringing wins together. "We have picked up wins sporadically, the hard part in this league is to go back-to-back, particularly at the venue we're at today and it's a big three points for us," he said.
Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton was left frustrated by missed opportunities. "Frustrating. We had really good chances in the first half, we've hit the inside of the post and Brian [Healy] has had a great chance," Magilton told reporters.
The victory builds on last week's 2-0 win over Portadown and represents a significant step forward. The team's recent form now reads two wins, two draws and one loss from their last five outings. With 12 goals scored and 11 conceded this season, defensive solidity paired with Rutkowski's finishing is proving a reliable formula.
Attention now turns to a trip to face Limavady United next Saturday. Limavady currently sit one place below Ballymena in tenth, making it another important fixture in the early-season scramble. The full schedule is available on our fixtures page. Defender Kodi Lyons-Foster, on loan from Coleraine, will be available after serving a one-match suspension for the yellow card he picked up early in this contest.
This story first appeared at sports.yahoo.com
Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton has strongly criticised the late penalty decision in Saturday's 1-0 defeat. Magilton said the collision between David Walsh and Brian Healy was "an incredible decision" and a clear penalty. He also claimed the linesman thought it was a free-kick, which Magilton called "really, really poor officiating." The win lifted Ballymena United to 8th in the Premiership with 12 points from nine games. They are now on a two-game winning run.
Manager Oran Kearney praised Igor Rutkowski's improvement after the striker scored in a fourth consecutive league game. Kearney said, "The biggest thing I'll give him this season is he has kicked on." He noted Rutkowski's 16 league goals for Ballymena have all come from open play this term, unlike last season. The 1-0 win over Cliftonville on October 3rd contributed to Ballymena's current league standing of 8th in the Premiership with 12 points from nine games.
Manager Oran Kearney praised Igor Rutkowski's improvement after the striker scored in a fourth consecutive league game. Kearney said, "The biggest thing I'll give him this season is he has kicked on." He noted Rutkowski's 16 league goals for Ballymena have all come from open play this term, unlike last season. The 1-0 win over Cliftonville on October 3rd contributed to Ballymena's current league standing of 8th in the Premiership with 12 points from nine games.
