Bet McLean Cup Final: Goal king Gormley does it again for Reds

Joe Gormley proved his worth to Cliftonville once again as he hit the only goal of the gam in extra-time to see the North Belfast side to another Bet McLean Cup Final win.

In a scrappy affair, then never truly caught fire in front of a record crowd of 14.539, Gormley showed he only needs a half-chance to find as goal as he latched onto Ryan Corrigan's pass to slot home the winner.

Jim Magilton's side probably just about edged it on the balance of play, while Glentoran boss Declan Devine will be disappointed his side failed to get going throughout the 120 minutes.

It was Glentoran who carved out the opening change of the match in the sixth minute, as the Cliftonville defence failed to cut out a low cross from the right by Fuad Sule.

It rolled into the path of Kodi Lyons-Foster, but the centre-back could only blaze over the bar.

After that, Cliftonville began to create the bulk of the chances.

The lively Alex Parsons saw two efforts that looked to be heading in, deflected wide, before Ryan Curran found himself unmarked at the edge of the box on the half hour mark. However, his low drive was blocked by the perfectly positioned Aaron Wightman to keep the tie scoreless and the sides went into the break deadlocked.

Glentoran had a big shout for a penalty less than two minutes into the second half. After hesitation between Jonny Addis and Luke Conlan in the Cliftonville box, Dylan Connolly went to ground, but Referee Shane Andrews was unmoved.

The East Belfast side – and specifically Jordan Jenkins – had two great chances to go in front within 60 seconds of one another just a minute later.

The striker dispossessed Jack Keaney to race through on goal, but his effort was weak and straight at Cliftonville keeper Lewis Ridd. Then Jenkins got on the end of a Connolly centre from the right and his first-time effort was superbly blocked by the legs of Ridd.

At the other end on 53 minutes, Shea Gordon’s goalbound effort was deflected out for a corner, before Luke Conlan rifled just over the bar under pressure from Sule as the game sprang to life.

Devine was the first of the two managers to blink, making a double change on the hour mark with Charlie Lindsay and Nathaniel Ferris replacing Finlay Thorndike and David Fisher.

Then with just over 15 minutes to go, Magilton sprung Gormley – in search of his fifth League Cup winners’ medal – from the bench, replacing Ryan Curran as Axel Piesold joined him, coming on for Shea Gordon.

With just over five minutes of the 90 left, Glentoran keeper Dan Gyollai got down to stop an effort from Parsons and just seconds later, the big goalkeeper used all of his frame to brilliantly stop a Gormley header from point-blank range.

That was as close as we came to a goal in the 90 minutes as the tie went to extra-time.

But it took just 10 minutes more for the opener to arrive as that man Gormley showed all his predatory instincts to open the scoring.

Substitute Ryan Corrigan, only on the field a matter of minutes, found space to drive forward don the left channel and his low cross was turned home in clinical fashion by one of the Irish League’s best ever strikers.

Glentoran then spurned a glorious chance to level with just under 90 seconds of extra-time to go when Amos' free-kick was missed by Ridd and fell to Johnny Russell six yards out with an open goal.

But his first time effort was spooned over the bar as they youngster put his head in his hands knowing that was the chance gone

MATCH STATS

Glentoran: Gyollai, Wightman (Russell 85), Amos, Lyons-Foster, McEleney (Coll 98), Sule (C), Palmer, Connolly (Pattisson 85), Fisher (Ferris 60), Jenkins, Thorndike (Lindsay 60)

Subs not used: Mills, Hvid

Cliftonville: Ridd, Conlan, Keaney, Casey, Addis, Gordon (Piesold 73), Wilson (Pepper 111), Hale (C) (Glynn 114), Kearney, Curran (Gormley 73), Parsons (Corrigan 97)

Subs not used: Odumosu, Ojo

Referee: Shane Andrews

Attendance: 14,539