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Saturday Stepback: 1951

Though the 2019/20 season was scheduled to have concluded by now, we are nevertheless continuing to fill the void left by Cliftonville-free Saturdays with the latest chapter of our weekly series transporting us back to a game played on this day in yesteryear.

Thanks to the help of the Club’s Heritage Development Officer, Paul Treanor, every Saturday during football’s downtime, cliftonvillefc.net will revisit a match from the past via the medium of contemporary newspaper reports – with today’s spotlight falling on a 1951 County Antrim Shield Final that carries a few modern day echoes, including the opposition and indeed the necessity for the season to be completed at a later date.


Co Antrim Shield

Ballymena and Cliftonville will have to wait until next season to see who is to have custody of the County Antrim Shield.

They drew two-all in the final of the competition at Windsor Park, Belfast, and as the season comes to an end, no date was available to stage the replay.

It could have been held next Saturday but for the fact that both teams have players taking part in representative matches – Ireland v Scotland Amateur International and the Irish League-Welsh League game at Swansea – on that date.

Perhaps a draw was a fair result of a game productive of little good football.

Any intelligent play came from the Ballymena left flank, who troubled the shaky Cliftonville defence times without number.

Cliftonville started off with plenty of enthusiasm but there it ended. The forward line, including Kevin McGarry, were ineffective.

They got the “breaks” – yes by the dozen – but, as is a customary fault with all Irish League sides, their shooting was not in the Bisley brand category. Too often also they attempted to walk the ball into the net.

The first half was painfully dull – except for a snap 25-yard drive from wing half Joe Douglas which gave Ballymena a one-nil half-time lead.

The boys from the Braid put on another goal through Jack Currie shortly after the start of the second half and it was then that Cliftonville completely faded out of the picture.

To my mind they were on the verge of collapse when McGarry managed to collect a goal which from the Press seat looked to have been scored from an offside position.

Then Cliftonville, with virtually every player except goalkeeper Calow and left back Hegarty, “invading” the Ballymena goalmouth, suceeded in getting the ball into the net.

Up went a roar from the 15,000 crowd which had paid over £600 in admission money! But the goal was ruled out of order because of an infringement by a Cliftonville forward.

What a protest was registered by the Reds’ forwards! Kevin McGarry, however, in true sportsmanlike spirit – so typically natural of our Ulster Footballer of the Year – instructed the players to obey the ruling and get cracking for that equalising goal.

They did. And it came not long from the end when inside left Reid, from about the edge of the penalty, scored to secure a replay.