Rutkowski earns Ballymena win at Solitude

Ballymena United made it back-to-back wins for the first time this season in the Irish Premiership after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Cliftonville at Solitude.

Igor Rutkowski scored for the fourth game in succession as the Sky Blues followed up last week's win over Portadown.

Cliftonville played the entire second half with 10 men after teenage defender Paul Stanfield was sent off on his full Premiership debut for a second yellow card in first half injury time.

The result means Cliftonville have now lost four successive league games, three of them without scoring.

After a quiet opening half-hour, Cliftonville came within a whisker of taking the lead when Rhyss Campbell's low shot crashed off the inside of the post before being cleared.

Ballymena had few sights of goal but Cliftonville defender Kyle McClelland had to be sharp to block an Igor Rutkowski shot inside the penalty area.

The Reds had another opening when Brian Healy turned sharply in the box but with a clear sight of goal, Ballymena defender Kodi Lyons-Foster threw himself at the ball to divert the effort behind.

But just as Cliftonville were starting to get on top, they were dealt a blow in first half stoppage time when teenage defender Paul Stanfield was shown a second yellow card after catching Caoimhin McConnell with a high challenge.

Ballymena tried to make their numerical advantage count at the start of the second period with PJ Morrison making a sharp save to deny James Hood after a quickly taken short free kick by Finley Thorndike and then a minute later, the Scottish keeper did well to block a Thorndike effort.

But the visitors did go in front on 58 minutes when Caoimhin McConnell's shot was saved by Morrison but Rutkowski was first to react to smash home the loose ball.

Cliftonville spurned a glorious chance to level soon afterwards when substitute Liam McStravick won back possession just outside the Ballymena penalty area and bore down on goal but David Walsh stuck out a foot to make a vital stop.

There was late drama deep in stoppage time when Cliftonville striker Brian Healy collided with Ballymena keeper David Walsh as the pair chased a loose ball inside the penalty area but with the home side appealing for a penalty, referee Steven Gregg instead awarded a goal kick.