The benchmark

Cliftonville 2-0 Crusaders

Cliftonville’s bench made the difference as substitutes combined to book County Antrim Shield progress at Crusaders’ expense this evening.

Eric McWoods had only been on the pitch two minutes when he glanced home a header following a cross from fellow sub Keevan Hawthorne, while Callum McCay was introduced shortly before opening his Club account to book the Reds’ place in the quarter-finals.

Jim Magilton made seven changes to the side that started the weekend win at Glenavon and it was one of the new faces, Deadline Day arrival Brandon Bermingham, who almost opened the scoring after just three minutes only to see his blistering effort curl just wide of the far post.

Shea Gordon went close with an angled drive soon later before Crues striker Stewart Nixon cleared the crossbar from point blank range after getting on the end of Keiran McKechnie’s delivery.

Ryan Curran headed straight at Musa Dibaga towards the end of the first-half, with the visiting keeper starting the second period by denying Conor Falls after good work from Hawthorne.

Dibaga also stopped Curran from making the most of a Jonny Addis throw before Crusaders almost edged in front against the run of play when former Cliftonville Academy player Oili McCart’s shot deflected off Conor Pepper and crept just wide.

The Reds made a triple change on 65 minutes and it was one of those fresh arrivals who enjoyed an instant impact; McWoods getting on the end of a superb Hawthorne cross to nod past Dibaga.

Though Lewis Barr almost drew the Crues level with a 75th minute header, Cliftonville got the security goal they deserved when Curran and Pepper linked up on the right and, though the latter’s low cross was cut out, Curran was alert enough to keep the danger alive by passing to McWoods, who picked out McCay for a confident finish.

There was still time for another sub, Harry Wilson, to go close in injury-time but two goals proved enough to earn the Reds victory in the season’s first North Belfast Derby.

Cliftonville: Ridd, Pepper, Addis, Curran, Falls (McWoods, 65 mins), Bermingham (McCay, 73 mins), Leppard, Gordon (Wilson, 65 mins), Wauchope (Hawthorne, 46 mins), Casey, Sheridan (Fapetu, 65 mins). Unused subs: Morrison, Gormley.