Match Report
On paper the standings were lopsided — Larne 1st with 73 points, Cliftonville 4th with 6, 67 apart. The last five rounds placed Cliftonville no better than 14th for form, against 4th in the standings. In league terms the two rates read 1.82/0.67 for Larne and 1.2/2.2 for Cliftonville (scored/conceded per game); the competition average is 1.46.
Larne had won three straight.
12 meetings are on record — 6 won by Larne, 3 by Cliftonville, 3 drawn, at 2.75 goals per meeting. Hosting has counted for little in this fixture — the home side has won only 33% of those meetings. These meetings skew tight — only 33% saw more than two goals. Recent meetings have been cagier — 1.8 goals per game across the last five against 2.75 historically.
The venue was Solitude, with room for 3,000 spectators. It was 0-0 at the break — the second half brought no more goals and it finished 0-0.
Key stats
Possession: Larne 61% · Cliftonville 39% · Total shots: 14-8 · On target: 2-1 · Corners: 3-4