Threesy does it for Joe

Cliftonville 5-2 Strabane Athletic

Joe Gormley scored his 300th goal for the Club to spark Cliftonville’s five-star comeback against Strabane Athletic in this evening’s BetMcLean Cup second round tie.

The Cup holders had trailed 2-0 with just 12 minutes on the clock but finishes from Gormley, Micheal Glynn and Jonny Addis had the Reds in front before half-time, with substitutes Joe Sheridan and Conor Falls opening their accounts in the closing stages.

Boss Jim Magilton made eight changes from the side that drew with Linfield on Sports Direct Premiership duty at the weekend and his new-look Cliftonville team were caught cold by Gary Merritt’s eighth minute opener before Oisin Duffy heightened the task by doubling Strabane’s advantage.

Cliftonville’s fightback began on 22 minutes when Brandon Bermingham’s clever touch sent Gormley one-on-one with visiting goalkeeper Thomas McDermott and he made no mistake with a first-time finish.

The leveller came 10 minutes later and, again, a smart passing sequence paved the way to goal, with Glynn angling in a beauty of a strike to restore parity and dampen Strabane’s hopes of a Cup upset.

Addis stroked the hosts 3-2 in front when he kept his cool at the end of another bout of one-touch action to ensure the Reds would hold the advantage going into the break.

Glynn, Gormley, Sheridan, Rory Hale and Ryan Curran all had chances to extend Cliftonville’s lead after the interval but it took until 11 minutes from time before the hosts had breathing space thanks to Sheridan finding the net from Glynn’s assist.

The same avenue provided Cliftonville’s fifth as Hale played Glynn into space on the left and his low cross was eventually turned in from close range by Falls.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Pepper (Wilson 74), Addis, Bermingham (Falls 63), Leppard, Gordon (Hale 63), McCay (Sheridan 46), Gormley (Curran 81), Barr, Glynn, Keaney. Unused subs: Ridd, Lavery.