NIFL European Playoff semi-final
Glentoran 0-2 Cliftonville
CLIFTONVILLE put their Irish Cup disappointment behind them and kept their chances of securing European football alive with a late double in a 2-0 win over Glentoran in the Playoff semi-final at the Oval on Wednesday evening.
It looked as though Jim Magilton’s side would require extra-time for the second time in four days, but centre-half Jack Keaney shot low past Daniel Gyollai to give his side the lead.
Glentoran needed a quick response but any chance of levelling was dealt a blow when Cammy Palmer was dismissed for a second bookable offence and Cliftonville made the most of numerical advantage when Eric McWoods latched onto a long pass and lifted the ball over Gyollai to secure a place in Sunday’s final when they will travel to the Coleraine Showgrounds.
Reds’ boss Jim Magilton made three changes to the side that started Saturday's shootout defeat to Dungannon Swifts in the Clearer Water Irish Cup final.
Lewis Ridd replaced the injured David Odumosu in goal, Axel Piesold started in place of Harry Wilson and Eric McWoods partnered Ryan Curran in attack.
Glentoran were without Fuad Sule, Christy Pattison and Dylan Connolly following suspensions handed out in the aftermath of their last league encounter at Inver Park.
Glentoran were first to threaten from Jordan Jenkins' speculative effort from range that Lewis Ridd would gather.
Ryan Curran glanced off target from the visitors' first attack, but the opening quarter was very much a slow burner.
Neither goalkeeper was heavily tested as James Douglas scooped a shot high and wide, and Ryan Curran saw his attempt scrambled to safety by Marcus Kane following Eric McWoods’ neat pass in the build-up.
With little over half an hour gone, the hosts went close from a thumping Johnny Russell attempt that whistled past the post with Lewis Ridd rooted to the spot.
Reds captain Rory Hale tried his luck and Kodi Lyons-Foster averted the danger after making himself big.
Eric McWoods shot into the side netting before the break and Lewis Ridd denied David Fisher with his legs as the half ended scoreless in East Belfast.
Glentoran began the second period brightly as David Fisher shot inches over and half-time substitute James Singleton teed up Danny Amos, who wasn’t very far away.
Referee Steven Gregg had a busy opening to the half, as he booked Cammy Palmer and Cliftonville trio Axel Piesold, Odhran Casey and Eric McWoods.
A goal was still no closer to arriving despite the best attempts of Kodi Lyons-Foster from an overhead kick that went through to Ridd, whilst Frankie Hvid scrambled Luke Conlon’s low cross behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
Odhran Casey steered a header wide from Axel Piesold’s cross as the game approached the final quarter of an hour, still deadlocked.
It was looking increasingly likely that extra-time would be required, but the opener arrived in the 87th minute and fell to Cliftonville.
Eric McWoods is challenged by Marcus Kane
Rory Hale and Axel Piesold stood over a free-kick and after Jack Keaney made a darting run from the back of a crowd of the edge of the area, Hale picked him out with a low pass and Keaney swivelled and guided a low shot past Daniel Gyollai and into the net to make it 1-0 and score his second goal against the Glens this season.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for the Glens after Cammy Palmer halted a quick Hale breakaway and was shown a second yellow card by Steven Gregg.
Six minutes were added and midway through, Cliftonville doubled their lead and booked their place in Sunday’s decider.
Lewis Ridd’s lofted clearance found McWoods, the ball broke away from the striker and was hacked as far as substitute Conor Pepper, whose through ball found the burst of McWoods and he lifted the ball past the advancing Gyollai to finish the job and make it 2-0.
Thereafter, Jim Magilton’s side saw the job out and showed great resilience to bounce back from Saturday’s Cup Final defeat and keep their European aspirations alive.
GLENTORAN: Gyollai, Amos (Wightman 79’), Hvid, Kane, Lyons-Foster, Palmer, Douglas (Singleton 46’), Thomson, Russell, Fisher (Thorndike 79’), Jenkins.
CLIFTONVILLE: Ridd, Casey, Addis, Keaney, Kearney, Piesold, Gordon, Hale (Pepper 90+2’), Conlon, Curran, McWoods.
REFEREE: Steven Gregg
