Eu Reds: Nordsjælland

As we edge ever nearer to Cliftonville’s return to domestic action, our latest continental retrospective takes us back four years to a trip to Denmark.

For it was on this day in 2018 that the Reds almost secured a huge shock against FC Nordsjælland at Right To Dream Park where, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, the visitors pulled ahead after just six minutes when Joe Gormley rifled home a penalty after Ryan Curran had been fouled in the box – the first spot-kick Cliftonville had ever converted in European competition.

As home supporters grew increasingly nervous at the prospect of the Reds registering a potentially fatal second away goal, it was with no little relief that the Farum fans celebrated Godsway Donyoh’s finish just before the hour.

With the tie still in the balance, Ruaidhri Donnelly came within inches of netting with a strike that would surely have seen Cliftonville through, only for the outcome to be settled seven minutes from time when Jamie Harney’s unfortunate own goal gave Nordsjælland the breathing space they required to see things out with a 3-1 aggregate success.

Cliftonville: Neeson, McGovern, Ives, Breen, Harney, C Curran, R Curran, R Donnelly, Bagnall, Gormley, J Donnelly.
Subs: Dunne, Garrett (for C Curran), McDonald (for R Curran), Catney, McMenamin (for J Donnelly), A Donnelly, McNulty.