Monday Monthly: August
With the curtain having closed on Cliftonville’s 2023/24 season, cliftonvillefc.net today kicks off 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’ll take a chronological look back on a month from the the term just finished – with a rewarding August taking centre stage today.
After finishing off their pre-season programme with a 2-0 victory over Warrenpoint Town, and due to the postponement of the opening day clash with Linfield, the Reds made a belated start to their Sports Direct Premiership schedule when Glenavon visited Solitude; two goals from Joe Gormley and a debut strike by Sean Stewart ensuring that the Jim Magilton era got off to a winning start.
Three days later, Cliftonville registered another 3-0 success courtesy of three first-half goals when Luke Turner, Ben Wilson and Rory Hale were on target on a balmy evening in Newry City, while the subsequent home date with Carrick Rangers appeared to be following a similar pattern when Wilson (2) and Ronan Doherty shot the hosts into a 3-0 lead at the break only for Hale to pop up with the team’s first second-half goal of the season to complete a 4-0 win.
The rearranged tussle with Linfield – which was put back to accommodate the Blues’ European commitments – saw the Reds not only concede for the first time in the campaign but also fall to their first defeat when the home side claimed a winner just minutes after Turner had scrambled in a deserved equaliser.
Back at Solitude the following weekend, Cliftonville broke the deadlock against Larne courtesy of an inch-perfect Wilson finish but, despite dominating the contest, Magilton’s men were forced to settle for a point after the away side levelled with a rebound after Nathan Gartside’s penalty save on the stroke of half-time.
Ten points from a possible 15 represented an encouraging start for the Reds, whose next engagement saw them begin September by contesting their first Cup action of the season…
August 2023
Cliftonville 2-0 Warrenpoint Town
Wilson, Rory Hale
Cliftonville 3-0 Glenavon
Gormley 2, Stewart
Newry City 0-3 Cliftonville
Turner, Wilson, Rory Hale
Cliftonville 4-0 Carrick Rangers
Wilson 2, Doherty, Rory Hale
Linfield 2-1 Cliftonville
Turner
Cliftonville 1-1 Larne
Wilson
Player of the Month: Ben Wilson
Goal of the Month: Ben Wilson v Larne