NIFL Premiership 

Cliftonville 4-0 Loughgall 

JOE GORMLEY secured his 17th hat-trick as Cliftonville romped to a 4-0 win against Loughgall and narrowed the gap on leaders Linfield to five points. 

After netting a first-half penalty, Gormley’s cheeky lob found the net via the post, and he lashed home his hat-trick with a quarter of proceedings remaining and Rory Hale capped a comfortable three points in what boss Jim Magilton felt was going to be a tough assignment. 

“It’s always a difficult game because I’ve a great appreciation of how Loughgall play,” he reflected. 

“It’s always a difficult game at times but I thought the whole theme about today was controlling possession of the ball, controlling our tempo and flow to the game. 

“I thought we did that and then we capitalised on some really good play, so obviously delighted.”

Magilton made one change from the side that lost to Ballymena United the previous weekend with Ronan Doherty coming in for Arran Pettifer. 

It was Cliftonville who were first to threaten when Rory Hale lined up a shot that Nathan Gartside pushed away and at the other end, Pablo Andrade cut the ball back for late replacement Conor McCloskey, but the former Glenavon winger fluffed his lines. 

Ex-Cliftonville shot-stopper Gartside produced a fine stop to deny Taylor Steven before the half-hour mark, but the Villagers’ resistance was broken shortly afterwards when Tiernan Kelly sent Micheál Glynn sprawling in the area and Gibraltar-based referee Jason Barcelo pointed to the spot. 

Joe Gormley took responsibility and sent his former team-mate the wrong way to score his 11th league goal of the campaign. 

It could have been two moments later, but Gartside diverted a long-range Hale effort over the bar for a corner as Gormley’s spot kick was the difference at the interval.

The hosts went close to doubling their lead after the break as Luke Conlon provided a cross and Ronan Doherty was unable to turn home at the back post. 

Shea Kearney then saw his strike flicked on by Gormley and Gartside had to spring down low to deny the 34-year-old. 

Loughgall thought they were in for a leveller when Nathaniel Ferris got in behind the Cliftonville defence, but Conor Pepper closed the door and instead, the Reds would double their advantage. 

Micheál Glynn’s threaded pass found Gormley, and he lifted the ball over Gartside and found the net via the post to make it 2-0. 

Reds’ boss Jim Magilton felt that was perfect timing to reintroduce Odhran Casey following his horrific injury sustained before half-time in May’s Irish Cup final and Casey powered wide from Ronan Doherty’s corner after his introduction. 

The third would arrive midway through the second half and it was a 17th career hat-trick for marksman Joe Gormley. 

He raced onto Casey’s through ball, took one touch to control and with a second sent a bullet of a strike to the net to claim the match ball with his final invention of the afternoon.  

Magilton made a treble change and gave a first senior appearance to 15-year-old Coran Madden. 

The St Mary’s CBGS student has attracted much attention and has been on trial at a host of Premier League giants over the past year. 

Madden made an immediate impact with an assist for captain Rory Hale, squaring to his skipper for a tap-in that made it 4-0 and afterwards, he took the acclaim of his much senior team-mates.  

Cliftonville thought they had hit Loughgall for five for the second time this campaign when Madden found Rory Donnelly at the back post and his downward header was turned home by Ryan Curran from close range- but the offside flag spared the Villagers further agony and in the end the hosts settled for four. 

CLIFTONVILLE: Odumosu, Kearney (Donnelly 72’), Newberry (Casey 57’), Addis, Conlon, Hale, Pepper, Doherty, Glynn (Madden 68’), Steven (Corrigan 68’), Gormley (Curran 68’). 

LOUGHGALL: Gartside, McCloskey (D Kelly 46’), Rea, Murdock, T Kelly, Andrade (Teggart 84’), Ferris (Boyd 72’), Norton, Gibson, Balde (Harvey 72’), Towe. 

REFEREE: Jason Barcelo