Bet McLean Cup Final  (AET)
 
Glentoran 0-1 Cliftonville 
 
JOE GORMLEY came up with the winning goal in extra-time as Jim Magilton delivered the second trophy of his tenure with a 1-0 win over Glentoran in the Bet McLean Cup Final at Windsor Park on Sunday afternoon.  
 
In a hard-fought decider played in front of almost 15,000 fans, neither could win the game in normal time thanks to numerous fantastic stops by Glentoran goalkeeper Daniel Gyollai.  
 
It was a familiar source who would prove to have the midst touch as 35-year-old Gormley stuck out a foot and diverted substitute Ryan Corrigan’s pass past Gyollai to win the day and secure a second Bet McLean Cup triumph in three-years.  
 
Reds' boss Jim Magilton felt his side gave up possession a little bit easily at times, but praised the move that led to the winning goal.  
 
“We gave up control a little bit at times and i thought that we were a little bit loose,” Magilton reflected.  
 
“That gave them the incentive and I have such great belief in our group of players. When we do things like that, it drives me insane because it gives the opposition a small chink and they kind of way take it.  
 
“It went back and forth and it was a bit basketbally for me at times when I thought we could have controlled proceedings a little bit more, given the quality of player that we have.  
 
“We gave up possession a little bit too much but overall, when you have the moments and moments we did have. The save from Joe’s header was unbelievable, although he should score.  
 
“The goal, if you look, Ryan Corrigan does a wonderful job in holding off and has the vision, but it's his timing- it is uncoachable. His timing in the box is just up there with the very best.  
 
“There are very few people that I have been around in my lifetime that have that and they are geniuses in the box and that’s what he [Joe Gormley] is - he is a genius in the box.”  

Cliftonville lift the trophy
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Cliftonville lift the trophy


 

Magilton named an unchanged XI from the side that defeated Crusaders in the Irish Cup quarter-final the previous weekend as they sought yet more silverware at Windsor Park, 10 months on from their Irish Cup success.  
 
Both sides came out with attacking intent as Rory Hale slid a pass into the path of Alex Parsons and Daniel Gyollai was quickly out to smother at feet, while Fuad Sule cut the ball back and Kodi Lyons-Foster swiped shot high over the bar from inside the box.  
 
A deflected Alex Parsons attempt looped over the bar and behind for a corner as Cliftonville upped the ante approaching the midway point in the half.  
 
They went close again when Odhran Casey’s long ball was chased down by Ryan Curran. Daniel Gyollai wasn’t convincing in his attempts to clear and Curran found Shea Kearney- his cross was partially cleared before Parsons's follow-up flashed wide.  
 
On the half hour mark, Rory Hale slipped in Parsons and Gyollai made a terrific block to deny the Aussie.  
 
Jordan Jenkins curled an angled shot high and wide of the target at the other end as the Glens enjoyed their best period of possession during the opening half.  
 
It was Cliftonville who continued to threaten though as Shea Kearney found the run of Parsons, only to be denied by Gyollai again and Rory Hale floated a high ball to the back post, but it evaded Ryan Curran.  
 
Kearney cut in field, but failed to keep his shot down before the break as the sides couldn’t find the breakthrough in an entertaining opening half.  
 
Glentoran made a strong start to the second period and carved out two glorious chances in the space of a minute.  
 
David Fisher almost profited from a defensive error though Lewis Ridd got down to hold his low effort and 60 seconds later, Cammy Palmer sent in a low cross that Jordan Jenkins flashed goalwards and Ridd kept it out with his foot.  
 
It took Cliftonville a few minutes to get to grips with things but they went close when Luke Conlon chased a long ball down the channel and his cross was helped into the path of Shea Gordon whose attempt was diverted behind for a corner, which came to nothing.  
 
Just after the hour mark, Parsons ran onto a Conlon flick-on in the area and with Gyollai committed, played a return pass to Conlon, but he shot over.  
 
Substitute Nathaniel Ferris drove in a shot that rose over and Palmer drew a low save from Ridd as Glentoran sought the breakthrough, yet it was Cliftonville who finished strong.  

Gyollai kept out a Parsons shot and then after a long throw fell to Gormley at the back post, his header was somehow scrambled over the bar and behind by Gyollai.  
 
Neither side was able to net in the closing stages as extra time was required in South Belfast.  
 
The deadlock was broken in the first period and it was Cliftonville who hit the front. Substitute Ryan Corrigan attacked the box and squared to Joe Gormley to poke the ball beyond the reach of Gyollai and make it 1-0 at the midway stage of extra time.  
 
Glentoran applied the early pressure at the beginning of the second period. Christie Pattison saw a low shot blocked by Jack Keaney and after the play was recycled, Charlie Lindsay curled a shot wide of the target.  
 
The East Belfast outfit missed a glorious chance to force a shoot-out a minute from the end of injury time after Danny Amos free kick was missed by Lewis Ridd and arrived to Jonny Ruseel at the back post- though the substitute fluffed his lines and skewed over with the net gaping.  
 
It was an opportunity they would rue, as Cliftonville saw out the remaining moments to hand on for victory and claim the Bet McLean Cup for the second time in three years.  
 
GLENTORAN: Gyollai, Lyons-Foster, Sule, Connolly (Connolly 85’), Palmer, McEleney (Coll 98’), Fisher (Ferris 60’), Amos, Wightman (Russell 85’) (Hvid 120+1’), Jenkins, Thorndike (Lindsay 60’).  
 
CLIFTONVILLE: Ridd, Addis, Casey, Keaney, Kearney, Wilson (Pepper 111’), Gordon (Piesold 73’), Hale (Glynn 115’), Conlon, Parsons (Corrigan 97’), Curran (Gormley 73’).  
 
REFEREE: Shane Andrews