Monday Monthly: February

A day ahead of Cliftonville’s first home outing of pre-season, cliftonvillefc.net continues a weekly mini-series reflecting on the good, the bad and the in-betweens of the 2025/26 campaign.

Every Monday between now and the new domestic term getting under way, we’ll take a chronological look back on a month from last term – with an up-and-down February taking centre stage today.

Having suffered a dispiriting Sports Direct Premiership defeat to Glenavon seven says earlier, the Reds’ prospects of Irish Cup progress looked bleak when the Lurgan Blues took a 1-0 lead into half-time of the sides’ sixth round tie at Solitude.

Joe Gormley’s scrambled leveller restored faith only for the dismissal of Sean Robertson to swing the pendulum back in the visitors’ favour – that was until injury-time when, with 30 minutes of extra-time looming, Jonny Addis (above) thundered an unstoppable strike into the top corner to earn passage to the quarter-finals.

Gormley was on target again when Bangor visited on Premiership duty a few days later and, though Conor Pepper’s unfortunate own goal restored parity, Micheal Glynn (below) immediately restored Cliftonville’s advantage ahead of Brian Healy sealing things with a third.

A hectic fixture list continued with a trip to Dungannon Swifts where, having hit from behind to lead through well-taken Gormley and Healy finishes, the Reds contrived to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as the hosts responded to take all three points courtesy of a last-gasp penalty.

Fleetwood Town loanee Joe Toole rattled in a sensational strike to seemingly put Cliftonville on course for victory over Portadown at Shamrock Park, only for a floodlight failure to force an abandonment and add another fixture to a demanding schedule, before Jim Magilton’s men roared to a demolition derby win against Crusaders.

Two up thanks to Healy’s firm finish (above) and deft header from Luke Conlan, the Reds’ lead was halved before the break and, though Glynn netted to make it 3-1, the Crues once again hit back before a Harry Wilson curler restored breathing space ahead of Josh Kelly putting the seal on a five-star display.

That high was followed up by arguably the lowest low of the season when Glentoran romped to a 4-0 victory at Solitude, leaving Cliftonville searching for a response when Linfield visited north Belfast in March’s opening mission…

February 2026
Cliftonville 2-1 Glenavon
Gormley, Addis

Cliftonville 3-1 Bangor
Gormley, Glynn, Healy

Dungannon Swifts 3-2 Cliftonville
Gormley, Healy

Portadown A-A Cliftonville

Cliftonville 5-2 Crusaders
Healy, Conlan, Glynn, Wilson, J Kelly

Cliftonville 0-4 Glentoran

Player of the Month: Brian Healy
Goal of the Month: Jonny Addis v Glenavon