Bet McLean NIFL League Cup Round One 

Cliftonville 3–0 Institute 

Cliftonville secured their place in the last 16 of the Bet McLean Cup with a 3-0 win over Institute at Solitude on Tuesday evening. 

Ben Wilson gave his side the early lead, but it wasn’t until the second half that victory was secure when Rory Hale curled home and substitute Stephen Mallon made sure of things with his first competitive goal for the club as he continues his comeback from a 13-month injury laden spell. 

Reds boss Jim Magilton felt his side were flat after going behind but took positives in their progression and Stephen Mallon’s contribution from the bench. 

“We scored early again and then I think we went a bit flat,” Magilton admitted. 

“Credit to Stute. I thought they passed the ball well and I thought they were all very tidy on the ball. Kevin [Deery] has them playing and they came here to play. We were just sloppy, and it was important that we got into the next round. 

“Bringing on Stephen Mallon, got more minutes in his legs. He takes his goal really, really well. 3-0 sounds convincing but it didn’t feel that way. Towards the end yes, but credit where credit is due. I thought Institute played very well.”

Magilton made two changes from the side that began their 1-1 draw with Loughgall at the weekend. 

Luke Kenny and Chris Curran came into the squad at the expense of Odhran Casey and Chris Gallagher, 

Like the weekend, Cliftonville were off the mark early under the Solitude lights as Ben Wilson raced onto a through ball and lifted it over Stute keeper Gareth Muldoon, and Dylan King on the line to notch his 11th goal in all competitions. 

The visitors almost hit back after a quarter of an hour when Tiarnan McKinney dinked a free kick onto the head of King whose flick on to the back post evaded former Reds striker Sean McCarron, who collided with the post in trying to turn the ball home. 

Gareth Muldoon needed to be at full stretch to turn away a Chris Curran snapshot and proceeded to deny Rory Hale from Ronan Doherty’s resulting corner. 

Just after the half hour mark, Doherty picked out Sean Stewart from another set piece and Stewart thundered an effort off the bar and over. 

Stewart almost linked up with Wilson, but a deflection took the ball away from the striker’s path and behind. 

Stute may have pulled level on the stroke of half time when Ryan Morrow picked out Michael Harris on the edge of the area and he tried to pick out McCarron in the centre, but substitute Shea Kearney was in the right place to intercept as Wilson’s goal was the difference at the break. 

Ben Wilson celebrates scoring the opener
2Gallery

Ben Wilson celebrates scoring the opener

Cliftonville almost doubled their lead early in the second half, but Joe Gormley was unable to meet Rory Hale’s low pass across the face of goal. 

Stephen Mallon was introduced before the hour mark and within 60-seconds of his introduction he picked out Ben Wilson who lifted his shot over the post and behind. 

The Reds doubled their advantage in the 63rd minute as Sean Stewart cut the ball back to Ronan Doherty and his shot was blocked by Ben Wilson. The danger wasn’t quite over for Stute as Rory Hale picked up the ball on the edge of the box and curled it beyond the reach of Gareth Muldoon. 

Victory was secured with little over 10 minutes remaining and it was a moment to remember for Stephen Mallon. 

The winger raced onto a through pass by Rory Hale and tucked the ball beyond the reach of Muldoon for his first competitive goal for the club after his nightmare injury spell to complete the evenings scoring. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Pepper (Kearney 33’), Addis, Kenny, Turner, Stewart (Jordan 80’), C Curran, Doherty (Casey 80’), Rory Hale, Gormley (Mallon 59’), Wilson (Berry 80’). 

INSTITUTE: Muldoon, Morrow, McLaughlin, King, McKinney (McLaughlin 90’), Carlin (Mullan 58’), Harris (Machado 90’), Devlin, McCarron (Mbuli 46’), Boyle, Deane (McClure 74’). 

REFEREE: Christopher Morrison