ToalsBet.com County Antrim Shield quarter-final 
Cliftonville 1-1 Linfield 
(Linfield win 5-4 on penalties)

LINFIELD edged a close County Antrim Shield quarter-final at Solitude on Tuesday as they held their nerve in a penalty shootout to overcome Cliftonville.

The visitors began the match like a team with a point to prove, with the likes of Clarke and Devine causing problems for the home side in the inside left channel, with the pair linking up well to cause Cliftonville captain Curran and his backline a number of problems early in the half. 

It was to be this combination of Clarke and Devine that would unlock the door for the visitors with just over 60 seconds on the clock. 

Quick feet and one touch passing from Devine before a pass inside to Clarke, who unleashed a perfectly placed strike into the top left hand corner – a dream start for the Blues. 

Things almost went from bad to worse for Cliftonville when defender Lowe took one too many touches inside his own box, with striker Devine wasting no time to close down to defender, who like the rest of his team, had yet to wake up. 

If Cliftonville were going to find a way back into the tie, it was going to be through Hale and McDonagh on either wing, with a few inviting crosses from the latter for the likes of Gormley and Hale showing the home fans just a glimpse of what they expected from their side. 

Linfield manager David Healy will not have been happy with defender Conor Pepper when a few tackles followed by needless simulation was just enough to force the referee to show the Linfield man the yellow. The booking had roused the home support, who had very little to cheer about in the opening 25. 

Striker Joe Gormley must have felt it wasn’t to be his night when twice the forward attempted to lift the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Walsh’s head after latching on to a long ball, only to be flagged for offside. 

Moments later after the second of his offsides, it was Gormley again; long ball, onrushing goalkeeper, attempted lob. This time, however, no flag as the ball nestled in the net right in front of the travelling Linfield support.

The momentum and confidence was now well and truly with the home side, and no player on the pitch for the home side embodied that more than full back Sean Moore. 

A long ball hoisted into the air from the Cliftonville defence was beautifully plucked from the North Belfast sky by the young defender, who, not satisfied with his immaculate first touch, set off on a dazzling run into the heart of the Linfield back line. 

This only served to further bolster the Cliftonville spirits, whose home fans were now in full voice. 

Cliftonville had climbed their way back into tie, however there was nothing to separate the sides at the break.

The second half began with a foul and a booking that had been coming for a while, as Kirk Millar wiped out Cliftonville’s Moore, who surely had seen it coming after the full back had left a number of Linfield defender’s red faced in the first half. 

The second half was dominated by sporadic burst of pressure from the home side, with Gormley, McDonagh and Hale all failing to convert a number of half chances. 

As the half grew on, and Cliftonville continued to be wasteful with their chances, you could sense the belief in the visitors that they could nick something from the tie, and on the 70th minute David Healy’s men almost done exactly that. 

Joe Gormley celebrates scoring the equaliser
2Gallery

Joe Gormley celebrates scoring the equaliser

A couple of great chances in quick succession from the head of McKee and a low volley off the post from Devine was almost enough to punish Gormley and co. for failing to convert the multitude of chances their side created. 

With both sides struggling to score a second, penalties was needed to separate the two. The travelling Linfield support were gifted with front row seats to the shootout, whilst the anxious home crowd could only look on through squinted eyes from across the ground. 

A series of finely taken penalties from both sides, most noticeably from full-back Sean Moore who had the audacity to panenka his effort down the middle – a penalty worthy of winning any tie. 

However, misses from Gormley and Turner meant it wasn’t to be for Cliftonville, and Moore – who in truth didn’t deserve to be on the losing side on the night. 

A resolute and impressive away victory for David Healy’s men in the Shield, means they now face Glentoran in the semi-finals.  

CLIFTONVILLE: Talley, C Curran (R Curran 78’), Rory Hale (Doherty 62’), McDonagh, Lowe, Robinson (Addis 94’), Gormley, Casey, Turner, Ronan Hale, Moore
Goal scorer: Gormley 27

LINFIELD: Walsh, Newberry, Callacher, Millar, McKee (Cooper76’), Devine, Vertainen (McDaid 76’), Pepper (Finlayson 68’), Quinn (M Clarke 37’), A.Clarke (McClean 68’), Palmer
Goal scorer: Clarke 2