McStravick double helps Cliftonville beat Linfield

Liam McStravick scored twice in the first half as Cliftonville ended their league campaign with a 2-1 win over Linfield at Windsor Park.

McStravick broke the deadlock on three minutes before Chris McKee levelled just five minutes later from the penalty spot.

Former Linfield youth product McStravick then restored the Reds' advantage with what proved to be the winner as the Reds ended the league campaign with back-to-back wins.

Jim Magilton's side will now look ahead to the European play-offs, with Linfield waiting in the final after their win in the BetMcLean Cup final.

Reds see off Blues in Windsor sunshine

Cliftonville got off to the perfect start when McStravick fired them in front after only three minutes as he raced onto Rory Hale's clever through ball before finishing past David Walsh.

The Blues were level within five minutes as Josh Kelly brought down Matt Yates in the box with McKee firing home the resulting penalty.

Joe Toole hacked Ben Hall's close range effort off the line before the half hour mark and it proved vital as the visitors broke up the pitch with McStravick netting his second of the game with a shot from outside the box which sent Walsh sprawling.

McKee went close to netting a second before the break but his shot from Matthew Fitzpatrick's cutback was deflected narrowly wide of the Cliftonville goal.

The Reds were denied a third at the start of the second half as Adam Carroll crashed a header off the crossbar after Toole had picked him out with a great cross.

Hale then had Walsh at full stretch to push away a shot from outside the box.

As the match wore on the intensity died with both managers ringing the changes with the European play-offs in their minds.

Linfield kept pushing for an equaliser in the closing stages but they failed to really trouble the Cliftonville defence.