Graduation daze
This weekend saw Stephen McGuinness become the eighth Academy graduate in Cliftonville’s current squad to become a senior goalscorer.
The 21-year-old found the net against Loughgall to join some esteemed company on a roll of honour that started way back in September 2010 when Ruaidhri Donnelly (below) opened his account in a League Cup defeat of Larne at Inver Park.
A further 12 months on, a certain Joe Gormley, who had spent a brief spell at Solitude as a youngster prior to lighting up the Amateur League with Crumlin Star, scored against Ards to commence a record-breaking run in front of goal for Ireland’s Oldest Football Club.
Fast forward to January 2021 and Rory Hale – an underage star who joined the youth set-up at Aston Villa a decade ago – was on target in a Premiership clash with Crusaders (above) at Solitude, where Odhran Casey (below) scored against Coleraine in December 2022.
A year later, meanwhile, Shea Kearney produced an eye-catching finish against Glentoran (below), with Ryan Corrigan striking in the Charity Shield tussle with Larne at the start of this season.
Last month’s BetMcLean Cup quarter-final with Armagh City saw Coran Madden become the youngest scorer in Cliftonville’s history and the most recent Academy talent to find the net until McGuinness put the seal on Saturday’s defeat of Loughgall – while it should not go unnoticed that Ballyclare Comrades loanee Keevan Hawthorne struck in the Dixon Park side’s Championship meeting with Institute.
The Reds’ clash with the Villagers also represented Ryan Curran’s 250th appearance for the Club, just a few days after team-mate Conor Pepper clocked up his 50th outing in the BetMcLean Cup victory over Larne.
As Cliftonville Heritage Development Officer Paul Treanor notes, that semi-final showdown marked our 77th defeat of the Invermen and 755th away win overall in what was our 2005th game on the road, while Destiny Ojo’s late header was the 300th time Cliftonville have scored in the League Cup and the 3725th away goal in our history.
The week in numbers
3725: Total away goals Cliftonville have scored
2005: Number of away games the Reds have played
755: Amount of away wins Cliftonville have recorded
300: Destiny Ojo’s header was our 300th goal in the League Cup
250: Ryan Curran appearance tally
77: Total victories over Larne
50: Number of times Conor Pepper has played for the Reds
8: Amount of goalscoring Academy graduates in the current Cliftonville squad