Reds win a Ronan battle

Carrick Rangers 0-1 Cliftonville

Ronan Doherty bundled in a late winner as Cliftonville made progress to the quarter-finals of the Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup at Carrick Rangers’ expense.

The Reds had earlier seen a Jamie McDonagh free-kick saved and Colin Coates hit the bar before a second-half goalmouth scramble appeared to end with Doherty nudging the visitors in front only for referee Raymond Crangle and assistant Ken Ross – both of whom had originally awarded the goal – to convene and ultimately rule that an offside infringement had occurred.

Cliftonville continued to apply the pressure, however, and were eventually rewarded when Conor McDermott’s determination to chase the ball down at the byline ended with him teeing McDonagh up for a wicked delivery that goalkeeper Aaron Hogg failed to grasp in the muddy conditions. Though his initial rebound was blocked, Doherty was there to make sure at the second time of asking and send the Reds through to a last-eight date with Coleraine.

The first threat of the afternoon came when a nasty David Cushley challenge on Cricky Gallagher earned the visitors a free-kick which McDonagh brought a save out of Hogg from.

At the other end, Luke McNicholas showed a strong wrist to turn a Lloyd Anderson effort behind ahead of Gallagher being unable to get on the end of a McDonagh delivery, Jonny Addis nodding wide from a Levi Ives’ free-kick and and Colin Coates heading against the underside of the crossbar from McDonagh’s ball forward.

A Daniel Kearns cross then sparked a scramble that neither Gallagher nor Curran could take advantage of, while the second-half began with Hogg making a fingertip save to turn a delicate McDonagh effort over the top.

After Curran’s header across the face of goal found no takers from a Cliftonville perspective, the same player saw a volley deflected wide by a Carrick defender.

From the resulting corner, the Reds thought they had taken the lead. Jonny Addis’ header was blocked on the line and Gallagher’s rebound also found no way through, but Curran’s low blast struck the base of the post before ricocheting off Doherty and into the net.

Following lengthy appeals from home players, the officials eventually agreed that the scorer had been offside and the goal was ruled out.

Soon later, McDonagh’s cross was touched out of O’Neill’s path by a Jim Ervin header, with O’Neill then failing to convert an inviting Doherty delivery.

Cliftonville’s pressure eventually told, however, when Doherty’s touch sent Curran scampering down the left and, though his return pass wasn’t properly met by the midfielder, McDermott kept the ball alive and passed to McDonagh, whose delivery caused a melee that ended with Doherty lifting the ball into the net from close range.

Curran twice went close to making it 2-0 as Carrick threw men forward in the closing stages but, in the end, one goal was enough to secure the Reds’ place in the next round.

Cliftonville: McNicholas, McDermott, Addis, Coates, Ives, Lowe, C Gallagher, McDonagh (C Curran, 84 mins), Kearns (O’Neill, 62 mins), Doherty, R Curran. Unused subs: McKenna, Harney, Donnelly, Gormley, Turner.