Clearer Water Irish Cup - Quarter-Final
Loughgall 0
Cliftonville 3
At Lakeview Park
CLIFTONVILLE secured a place in the Clearer Water Irish Cup semi-final for the third year in succession with a comfortable 3-0 win over Championship outfit Loughgall in the quarter-final clash at Lakeview Park on Saturday afternoon.
Keevan Hawthorne dinked home the opener inside of the first quarter of an hour and Shaun Leppard’s powerful header doubled his side's advantage at the interval.
Victory was secured before the hour mark when Liam McStravick converted after Berraat Turker saved his initial shot to ensure a place in the last four and a meeting with Cup holders Dungannon Swifts.
Reds boss Jim Magilton was happy to see his side progress to the last four, despite acknowledging they were a bit leggy with the game being their third in a six day period.
“It’s our third game in a week – quarter final of an Irish Cup and Loughgall away, there is always that potential of a banana skin” Magilton reflected.
“We talked about mentality again, application and attitude and that’s what today was about. Obviously, to avoid a banana skin but they [Loughgall] created really good opportunities and on another day it should or could have been a lot closer.
“We were clinical in that aspect, but Loughgall should be very, very proud of themselves because of the way they went about their business, the way they played, the opportunities they created.
“We looked as if it was the third game in six days. We did look a little bit leggy at times, but overall another semi final for us and one to look forward to”.
Magilton made three changes to the XI that defeated Portadown 2-0 at Shamrock Park on Wednesday evening.
Joe Sheridan, Sean Robertson and Ryan Curran all dropped to the bench with Adebayo Fapetu, Keevan Hawthorne and Joe Gormley all coming in.
Cliftonville will meet Dungannon Swifts in a rematch of the 2025 final
It was Cliftonville who were first to threaten when Joe Gormley’s shot was diverted behind by Conor Kerr. Hale’s corner fell to Jonny Addis in the area and his shot was blocked for another corner, which came to nothing.
The deadlock was broken in the 11th minute. Adebayo Faoetu linked up with Josh Kelly who found Keevan Hawthorne and his ambitious dink floated over Ross Glendinning and into the net to make it 1-0.
Glendinning collided with the post in an attempt to keep the ball out and had to be withdrawn for Berraat Turker.
The Villagers should have hit back when Paul McElroy’s backheel fell to Darragh Stewart in the area, but he blasted over the top from inside the 18-yard box.
Former Portadown defender Dougie Wilson then clipped a ball into the box that was just in front of Kirk McLaughlin. Sixty seconds later a Scott McCann corner arrived at the back post where James Carroll’s downward header was wide of the target.
Just after the half hour mark John Scott found Darragh Stewart and he lifted an effort over the bar.
A mistake from James Carroll almost allowed Joe Gormley to round Berraat Turker, though Ben Murdock made a block to deny the Reds' striker.
Cliftonville would double their lead before the break. Micheál Glynn’s corner from the left was powerfully met by Shaun Leppard and his bullet header gave Turker no chance, making it 2-0 at the interval.
Hawthorne almost doubled his advantage after the restart. Rory Hale clipped in a cross for Joe Gormley who couldn’t get his shot away and a low Hawthorne shot was cleared on the line by Carroll.
At the other end Robbie Norton found Paul McElroy inside the area, but his shot failed to test PJ Morrison who gathered with ease. A few minutes later Scott McCann picked out Kirk McLaughlin whose shot cannoned off the bar with Norton’s follow-up flashing wide.
It was a chance the hosts would rue as Cliftonville secured their semi-final spot with a third goal in the 56th minute.
Adebayo Fapetu threaded a through ball into Liam McStravick whose initial shot was well saved by Berraat Turker, though McStravick powerfully converted the loose ball to make it 3-0.
Turker did well to divert a Micheál Glynn attempt behind for a corner that was partially cleared and Rory Hale’s floated cross landed on the roof of the net past the hour mark.
The sting was taken out of the game in the final half hour with Calum McCay going closest to adding a fourth, hooking past the post from a cross by fellow substitute Eamonn Tohill in the closing stages.
In the end it was a comfortable afternoon for Jim Magilton’s side who take on holders Dungannon in the last four, in a repeat of last year's decider when the Stangmore outfit dethroned the Reds via a shoot-out.
LOUGHGALL: Glendinning (Turker 15’), Murdock, Wilson (Corr 68’), Norton, Stewart (Crowe 61’), McElroy (Prendergast 61’), Carroll, Scott, McLaughlin (Kelly 68’), McCann, Kerr.
CLIFTONVILLE: Morrison, Leppard, Addis (A Kelly 71’), J Kelly, Toole (Pepper 65’), Glynn (Sheridan 65’), Fapetu, Hale (Tohill 65’), Hawthorne, McStravick (McCay 71’), Gormley.
REFEREE: Christopher Morrison
