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Spot the difference

Though Cliftonville exited the Europa League courtesy of Thursday’s 2-1 defeat to Nordsjælland, there were nevertheless three Club landmarks recorded when Joe Gormley broke the deadlock during the First Qualifying Round fixture at Right To Dream Park.

For not only was Gormley’s sixth minute opener, which takes him to within 14 strikes of beating Kevin McGarry’s all-time Reds record of 170 goals, his first ever strike in European competition, it was also the first time Cliftonville had scored against Danish opposition, having drawn blanks in prior encounters with Aalborg, Copenhagen and, of course, last week’s first leg with Nordsjælland at Solitude.

Furthermore, supporters will no doubt be intrigued to learn that the goal was the first time the Reds had ever netted from the penalty spot in continental competition.

Only once previously have Cliftonville been afforded the opportunity to register from 12 yards but, presented with the chance during the home leg of the 1998 Champions League clash with Kosice, Jody Tolan steered his effort wide of the post – and it took three days shy of 20 years for Gormley to make the most of the next such opening as he became just the fifth Reds player in history to find the net away from home in Europe.