Clearer Water Irish Cup, Fifth Round
Cliftonville 3-0 Dundela
CLIFTONVILLE’s bid for a third successive Irish Cup Final appearance started with a 3-0 win over bottom of the Championship Dundela at Solitude on Saturday afternoon.
Conor Falls' early opener wasn’t a sign of things to come as Dundela frustrated Jim Magilton’s side for much of the encounter.
Debutant Brian Healy doubled his side's lead with twenty minutes remaining and a Sean Robertson free-kick closed out victory to set up a last-16 clash with the winners of the Glenavon and Newington tie, which was one of seven games that fell victim to a frozen pitch on Saturday morning.
Reds boss Jim Magilton praised Dundela’s approach that frustrated his side for long periods and felt the quality goals were the difference in the end.
“Dundela were well set up, well organised and very disciplined so Cliffy [Clifford Adams] and his staff and players deserve immense credit,” Magilton reflected.
“When you score early, you’re thinking it's going to be an onslaught, unfortunately that didn’t happen and credit to them.
“We were poor in possession. We lacked ambition with the ball at times, we were pretty lethargic.
“The three lads were making their debut, it can be disjointed but when we bring these lads in, we bring them into the system too and their individual qualities within that system.
Harry Wilson with Oisin Barr and Charlie Dornan
“It’s not an excuse but we just didn’t have that zip and the subs in the second half made that bit of a difference for us. Half-time made a bit of a difference and the three quality goals in the end.
“Conor Falls' goal was a fabulous goal, fabulous run, fabulous ball and a great finish. Brian’s goal was wonderful quality and Sean’s again with a set piece was fantastic – so that was probably the difference between the two teams."
Magilton made four changes to the side that drew 0-0 with Larne in their last outing before the turn of the year.
Shaun Leppard came in for Jack Keaney and there were places in the squad for the three January signings: Joseph Toole, Liam McStravick and Brian Healy.
It took just seven minutes for the hosts to hit the front after Shaun Leppard played a ball over the top to Conor Falls and he dinked an angled attempt over Lewis Hunter and into the net for his second goal of the season.
Conor Falls opened the scoring for the Reds
The Duns' most promising opportunity of the half came from an Andrew Hoey free-kick that he cannoned into the wall, whilst Oisin Barr managed to squeeze in a shot that Lewis Ridd comfortably gathered.
Cliftonville failed to build on Falls' early opener, the striker headed Keevan Hawthorne’s cross from the left towards goal where Hunter claimed with ease and just before the break Odhran Casey sent in a promising ball and Adebayo Fapetu nodded wide as Falls' goal was the difference at the interval.
Chances were few and far between in the first quarter of the second half. Goalscorer Falls' shot flashed over the bar in the only note of effort before the hour mark.
The visitors were almost back on terms in the 62nd minute when former Portadown attacker Salou Jallow’s cross from the left was partially stopped by Fapetu and Andrew Hoey fired the loose ball inches wide of the target.
Substitutes Rory Hale and Sean Robertson then combined; the latter controlling Hale’s pinpoint cross field ball but Robertson’s shot whistled across the face of goal and behind.
The Reds' nerves eased slightly when they doubled their lead twenty minutes from time. They did receive a huge let-off 60-seconds prior when Andrew Hoey’s deflected cross fell into the path of Barr, whose shot was stopped by Ridd.
A foul shortly afterwards allowed Rory Hale to dink the free-kick into Ryan Curran’s path and his chested lay-off dropped to debutant Brian Healy to sweep home with the outside of the boot into the top corner for his first since making the move from Harland and Wolff Welders on Thursday evening.
The tie was settled with less than ten minutes to play after Sean Robertson was abruptly brought down by Charlie Dornan.
Usual free-kick taker Jack Keaney was absent through injury so Robertson took the resulting set-piece and curled the ball into the right hand corner past Hunter for his second goal of the campaign to ensure a safe passage into the sixth round for the Solitude side.
Sean Robertson sealed the tie for Cliftonville
CLIFTONVILLE: Ridd, Leppard, Casey, Addis, Toole (Pepper 46’), Wilson (Hale 61’), Fapetu, Hawthorne (Robertson 46’), McStravick (Sheridan 70’), Falls (Curran 61’), Healy.
DUNDELA: Hunter, Kerr, Fletcher, Dornan, Barr (Moody 78’), Adams, Tennant, Andrews, Taylor (McMaster 78’), Hoey, (Patton 85’) Jallow (Walker 64’).
REFEREE: Finton Coyle
