MATCH winner Joe Gormley is adamant that his defining goal in Sunday’s Bet McLean Cup Final is just him doing his job.
Gormley netted in the first period of extra-time to ensure he collected his fifth League Cup medal in a distinguished and successful career at the club.
As he closes in on 300 goals for the club, the 35-year-old simply insists that he is only doing the job he is paid for.
“That’s my job to score goals,” Gormley maintains.
“I always feel confident that I will score goals and luckily enough the ball fell to me, and I was lucky to put it in the net.
“I believe I will score every game I play; it is down to the boys creating chances for me.
“Throughout my years at Cliftonville, I am very, very lucky to be playing with so many really good players and they create the opportunities for me.
“They assist me, and I am just happy enough to hopefully repay them by scoring the goals.”
Gormley cherished celebrating Sunday's win with his two children and partner Aoife and admits their presence means a lot to him week in, week out.
“It means a lot to me,” he acknowledged.
“Over the years, I’ve obviously had my kids with my partner Aoife and everything I do know is for them.
“Having them coming home and away every week is massive for me. I’m a family man - I love my family, I love them to bits and everything I try and do is for them and having my two boys and partner on the pitch at the end does mean a lot.”
The Ardoyne native delved into his love for the club and how much the club triumphs means to him personally.
“Without the boys in the team, it isn’t possible. You say about me not playing last year in the Cup final - it doesn’t matter,” Gormley stressed.
“Don’t get me wrong, it probably does affect me a wee bit but it means a lot to me.
“I always say that when Cliftonville win I win, no matter if I play a minute or not. Lucky enough, Jim put me on today and I was able to score the winner.
“I will enjoy it but massive credit to the boys. Jim has put me in this year, and I’ve hopefully repaid him with goals.
“I love Cliftonville, it’s my club. I’m a local boy from Ardoyne who over the years has fallen in love with the team that I play for, and it means an awful lot to me.”
Gormley believes that deceased teammate Michael Newberry was present in spirit and insists that every success of this campaign is dedicated to him.
“It’s massive: Michael Newberry was a massive character in our changing room,” he insists.
“There were a lot of boys who were a lot closer than maybe I was, but he was my teammate and a friend.
“The loss of Michael Newberry was hard for us, but Rory hit the nail on the head in the huddle before we came in to start the match. He said the number 5 on our jersey means a lot to us.
“He was here with us most definitely, I know that for a fact. For his family, it shows a lot of emotion to us that everything we do throughout the year is for him, or it will be in the back of our minds that we will try and do as much as we can to keep remembering Michael Newberry. He means an awful lot to every single boy at Cliftonville.”
