Storm troopers
Dungannon Swifts 1-2 Cliftonville
Second-half goals from Michael McCrudden and Ryan Curran earned Cliftonville a battling Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup Quarter Final victory over Dungannon Swifts in horrendous conditions at Stangmore Park.
Unable to find the net despite going close several times during a dominant first-half display, the Reds cranked up the pressure after the turnaround and were eventually rewarded when McCrudden celebrated his first goal for the Club after producing the decisive back-post touch from Jamie Harney’s flick-on.
Ross Redman’s foul on Joe Gormley earned a penalty which could have put the tie beyond doubt, only for Swifts keeper Sam Johnston to maintain his superb spot-kick record when he repelled Conor McMenamin’s low strike.
That save spurred the hosts and they duly drew level when Daniel Hughes picked his spot with a well-taken effort but, after weathering a brief storm – both figuratively and literally – Cliftonville booked their Semi Final spot when McMenamin’s header set Gormley free on the left and his ball inside was gleefully tucked away by Curran.
Cliftonville: Brush, McMenamin, McDermott, Harney, A Donnelly, C Curran, Doherty (Breen, 82 mins), Rocks, R Curran, McCrudden, Gormley. Unused subs: Dunne, Foster, Wilson, Maguire, Casey, McCurry.