Reds are right as raine

Cliftonville 2-1 Coleraine

Cliftonville progressed to the European Play-Off Final courtesy of a heart-stopping victory over Coleraine at Solitude this evening.

Always guaranteed to entertain, the contest – which was the sides’ seventh meeting of the season – got off to a perfect start from the Reds’ point of view when Ryan Curran netted after just four minutes before a Ronan Doherty strike got the better of visiting keeper Gareth Deane.

The Bannsiders reduced the arrears with just over a quarter of an hour remaining when Matthew Shevlin nodded home but, despite the fixture’s propensity for a 2-2 draw, Cliftonville held on to book their place in Saturday’s decider with Glentoran.

Cliftonville: Gartside, Ives, Addis, Gallagher, C Curran, R Curran (Moore, 73 mins), Lowe, R Doherty (Coates, 84 mins), Gormley (Rocks, 78 mins), Turner, Ronan Hale. Unused subs: G Doherty, Parkhouse, McDonagh, Traynor.