Insurance role

Today marks another notable anniversary for aficionados of all things Cliftonville, with 22 years having passed since we first lifted the League Cup.

Though the trophy, which is currently in residence at Solitude following the Reds’ victory over Glentoran in last season’s Final, has become a familiar visitor to our Boardroom thanks to six triumphs in the last 13 seasons, it wasn’t until 2003 that Cliftonville first laid their hands on the silverware.

A rain-soaked night at Windsor Park pitched two unlikely Finalists together as Cliftonville and newly-promoted Larne went head-to-head for glory.

The Reds’ night got off to a disastrous start when the Invermen – who had been given a bye to the decider when semi-final opponents Glentoran were disqualified from the tournament over a player ineligibility row – took an 11th minute lead through Derek Delaney.

After Conor Hagan had struck the woodwork in search of an equaliser, Delaney appeared to have doubled Larne’s advantage soon later only for referee Frankie Hiles to rule the strike out for a foul on Cliftonville goalkeeper Paul Straney.

Marty Tabb’s side improved after the half-time break with Barry Patton and Anthony Crawford both going close before the leveller came when Keith Mulvenna nodded a Hagan free-kick home.

With extra-time failing to deliver a winner, the contest progressed to a penalty shootout where, in contrast to how the match had started, the Reds got off to the best possible start when Straney repelled Emmanuel Maxwell’s opening penalty.

That proved the one and only failure from the spot, with Hagan gladly taking the responsibility of stroking past Andy McDonald to secure a 5-4 success and Cliftonville’s first ever success in what was then the CIS Insurance Cup.

A further decade would pass until the Reds lifted the Irn Bru League Cup in 2013, which was followed up with victory in the Wasp Solutions League Cup the following year; both at the expense of North Belfast rivals Crusaders.

Ballymena United were overcome in another Wasp Solutions Final in 2015 before Cliftonville completed a record-breaking four-in-a-row sequence when they beat Ards in the JBE League Cup Final 12 months later.

In 2022, meanwhile, arguably the most memorable win of the lot came when Paddy McLaughlin’s side roared back from 2-0 down to get the better of Coleraine by a 4-3 scoreline in a sensational BetMcLean Cup decider, with the Reds securing their seventh victory in the competition when a solitary goal from Joe Gormley – who had also netted in the 2013, 2015 and 2022 Finals – saw off Glentoran last season.