Monday Monthly: October

As the countdown to the 2022/23 season gathers pace, cliftonvillefc.net today continues a new weekly mini-series reflecting on the good, the bad and the in-betweens of last term.

Every Monday between now and the new domestic campaign getting under way, we’re taking a chronological look back on a month from the the year just finished – with a busy October taking centre stage today.

Having clocked up 16 points from the 18 available to them in the opening weeks of the Danske Bank Premiership programme, the Reds underlined their credentials in a battling 1-1 draw with Linfield at Windsor Park.

Trailing to an early Jordan Stewart strike, the visitors roared back to level through a Joe Gormley (above) header before simply being unable to find the winner their second-half momentum deserved.

The following week delivered another notable display when Larne were overcome at Solitude, where Rory Hale (below) blasted Cliftonville in front and then glanced home the winner after Davy McDaid had equalised in between times, but the team’s first defeat of the season was almost delivered when Lough 41 Premier Intermediate League side Bangor visited on County Antrim Shield duty.

A slack start saw the Reds fall behind before the Seasiders doubled their advantage after the break but, just when a shock upset looked to be on the cards, headers from Daniel Kearns and Aaron Donnelly dragged the home side level before substitute Joe Gormley’s double completed the comeback.

It would not be long, however, before that first loss came along; Ballymena United inflicting a 1-0 reverse at The Showgrounds before Paddy McLaughlin’s men got back on the winning track against Ards a few days later.

Jonny Addis opened his scoring account for the Club, with Cricky Gallagher (below), Ryan Curran and Gormley getting their names on the scoresheet in the second-half of the League Cup tie on the Clandeboye Road.

October ended with one of the most memorable games of the whole campaign when the Reds hit back to see off Glenavon at Solitude.

The Lurgan Blues had enjoyed an encouraging first-half and were rewarded with the breakthrough shortly after the turnaround with a strike that looked set to earn them all three points until a two-goal blast from Curran – including an outrageous winner – almost took the roof off amid raucous celebrations in BT14.

Supporters granted Addis a second successive Player of the Month gong as Cliftonville prepared to welcome Portadown for their first November engagement.

October 2021
Linfield 1-1 Cliftonville
Gormley

Cliftonville 2-1 Larne
Hale [2]

Cliftonville 4-2 Bangor
Kearns, Donnelly, Gormley [2]

Ballymena United 1-0 Cliftonville

Ards 1-4 Cliftonville
Addis, Gallagher, R Curran, Gormley

Cliftonville 2-1 Glenavon
R Curran