Monday Monthly: December

With less than a fortnight until Cliftonville’s first pre-season friendly, cliftonvillefc.net today continues a weekly mini-series reflecting on the good, the bad and the in-betweens of the 2022/23 term.

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

Having enjoyed a rewarding November and with memories of August’s battling win at Ballymena United still fresh in the mind, confidence was high ahead of the Reds’ return to The Showgrounds, but this was to prove a chastening experience.

Trailing by a goal at the break, Cliftonville fell 3-0 behind within a disastrous first 10 minutes of the second-half and, though Ronan Hale reduced the arrears with a well-taken finish, the Sky Blues added a fourth to wrap up a comprehensive success.

The Reds would strive to get back on track when Coleraine visited Solitude on BetMcLean Cup semi-final duty a few days later and, though twice on course for a second consecutive Final berth, the hosts contrived to concede their advantage on both occasions; Hale’s opener surrendered when the Bannsiders levelled in the closing minutes before Odhrán Casey’s extra-time strike (above) was likewise cancelled out.

This was not the last time Cliftonville and Coleraine would play out a 2-2 draw at Solitude this season, nor was it the last time their battle was settled in a penalty shootout; Oran Kearney’s side triumphing 5-4 on this occasion to exact revenge for their defeat in the previous campaign’s Final.

The Reds – and Joe Gormley (above) in particular – promptly took out their frustrations on Portadown a week-and-a-half later, when the frontman registered a Club record 14th hat-trick in addition to Hale’s third goal in as many games in December.

One player not quite as familiar to the scoresheet is Kris Lowe, but he was happy to take the acclaim for the only strike of the night when Cliftonville hosted Glentoran on Christmas week.

On his 96th appearance since joining from Dungannon Swifts in January 2021, Lowe (above) was perfectly positioned to capitalise on some sterling wing play from Sean Moore – and to say the versatile full-back cared little about the significant deflection that took his shot into the net would be something of an understatement. The Red Army were likewise unconcerned as they toasted three valuable points before rounding the year off with a trip to Seaview.

As it turned out, the North Belfast Derby proved an outing to forget for all concerned with the visitors as Crusaders clocked up a 3-0 victory.

Though the scoreline appeared comprehensive, Cliftonville were left to rue key moments going against them with Gormley twice going close and a goal-line clearance denying Lowe a proper finish of his own to celebrate, while the Crues broke the deadlock when a corner kick struck Luke Turner and ricocheted into the net.

Things didn’t get any better from that point and, having ended 2022 on a low, it was with some trepidation that the Reds approached their New Year showdown with Larne…

December 2023
Ballymena United 4-1 Cliftonville
Ronan Hale

Cliftonville 2-2 Coleraine [4-5 on penalties]
Ronan Hale, Casey

Cliftonville 4-1 Portadown
Gormley, Ronan Hale

Cliftonville 1-0 Glentoran
Lowe

Crusaders 3-0 Cliftonville