Clearer Water Irish Cup quarter-final  
Crusaders 1-2 Cliftonville  

CLIFTONVILLE saw off North Belfast rivals Crusaders and advanced to the semi-final of the Clearer Water Irish Cup with a 2-1 win at Seaview on Saturday afternoon.  

The Reds were under the cosh on the Shore Road but led at the break through a Ryan Curran header, with Alex Parsons doubling their lead before the hour mark.  

Crusaders didn’t go quietly with Harry Franklin halving the deficit to set up a nervy finish and Lewis Ridd produced a marvellous save to deny Daniel Larmour in the closing stages as Cliftonville held on for victory and set up a semi-final meeting with Ards at the end of the month.  

Manager Jim Magilton acknowledged that his side were forced to dig deep at times but felt victory was huge a week before their League Cup final meeting with Glentoran.  

“It was a massive result - we showed some character,” he said.  

“Crusaders threw everything at us, which we expected. We had to defend for our lives, but we scored two really good goals. We could have managed the game better but to win the game is huge for us.”

Magilton named an unchanged starting XI from their 2-0 league win over Glentoran last time out as Jonny Addis overcome a knock that forced him off in that victory.  

It was a nervy start on the Shore Road, but Crusaders were the livelier of the sides in the opening exchanges.  

Jordan Stewart let fly with a shot that Lewis Ridd turned around the post and behind at the expense of a corner and Jarlath O’Rourke flashed a shot from distance over the bar.  

Against the run of play, it was Cliftonville who made the breakthrough after 38 minutes. Jonny Addis clipped in a cross from the left and in form striker Ryan Curran showed his aerial threat, rising unmarked to guide his header beyond the reach of Jonny Tuffey underneath the angle of post and crossbar to make it 1-0 at the break.  

Declan Caddell’s charges came out swinging at the beginning of the second half although Stewart glanced over from a pinpoint O’Rourke corner.  

The hosts then survived a penalty scare at the other end when Rory Hale advanced and the ball bounced up against the hand of Jordan Forsythe. Despite vocal appeals from Hale and the visiting support in close proximity, referee Jamie Robinson wasn’t convinced and waved for play to continue.  

After weathering the hosts' early pressure, Cliftonville doubled their lead. January signing Alex Parsons got onto a Luke Conlon flick-on and raced into the area before showing composure to guide his shot past Tuffey for his second goal since arriving in North Belfast.  

Cliftonville’s relative comfort was short lived, however, as Crusaders found their way back into proceedings a minute past the hour mark.  

Jacob Blaney scooped out a cross that Harry Franklin glanced beyond Ridd to give his side renewed hope.  

Harry Franklin pulls one back
2Gallery

Harry Franklin pulls one back

Prior to Blaney’s goal, Jordan Stewart looked as though he afternoon was over after sustaining a knock, but the former Linfield attacker shook it off and he almost pulled the hosts level with a shot that arrowed over the bar.  

Cliftonville were forced to retreat for large parts of the final half hour, though a rare opportunity presented itself to Curran and Jonny Tuffey was alert to cut off his close-range attempt that would have restored the two-goal deficit.  

The best chance of a leveller came on 82 minutes when Ross Clarke picked out Larmour in the area and his downward header was somehow scrambled around the post and behind by Lewis Ridd.  

The resulting corner came to nothing and despite their best attempts in the aftermath, an equaliser wasn’t forthcoming in the closing stages for the Hatchetmen as holders Cliftonville survived to take their place in the last four where they will take on Championship outfit, Ards.  

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Callacher, Lowry, Jewitt-White (O’Connor 82’), Stewart, Blaney (King 90+1’), Forsythe, O’Rourke, Larmour, Franklin.  

CLIFTONVILLE: Ridd, Addis, Keaney, Casey (Glynn 90’), Gordon, Hale (Piesold 89’), Wilson, Kearney, Conlon, Parsons (Gormley 90’), Curran.  

REFEREE: Jamie Robinson