Club Friendlies
CLIFTONVILLE 3
MOYOLA PARK 0
At Solitude
CLIFTONVILLE returned to Solitude for their third pre-season fixture and ran out 3-0 winners over Moyola Park at Solitude on Tuesday evening.
A number of long term absentees continued their comebacks from injury as Kyle McClelland captained the side, and Adebayo Fapetu and Rhyss Campbell also received valuable minutes on the pitch ahead of the domestic campaign beginning with the North Belfast Derby in just over three-weeks.
The Reds were patient in their build up and almost hit the front a quarter of an hour in but the post denied Brian Healy from sliding home.
Cliftonville managed to produce a good showing in the heat on Tuesday evening
Healy did make the breakthrough a few minutes shy of the half hour mark after latching onto a fine Ben Quinn pass and lifting the ball over the advancing Moyola goalkeeper.
GOAL-THREAT: Joe Gormley returned and found the net for the Reds once again
It should have been 2-0 before the break, but Quinn’s delivery to the backpost was nodded wide by recent recruit Joel Thompson.
Jim Magilton rang the changes in the second period and his side doubled their advantage when goalscorer Healy slipped in Joe Sheridan to slam low to the net.
With a quarter of an hour remaining Cillian Murray was inches away from finding his side's third from a dangerous Paudie O’Kane cross.
The evening's scoring was complete two minutes shy of the 90, Murray curling effort was just about kept out and Joe Gormley was on hand to apply the simplest of finishes to wrap up a solid evening's work in the Solitude sunshine.
