Bann parade

Portadown 0-2 Cliftonville

Alex Bannon scored his first goal for Cliftonville to set the Reds on course for BetMcLean Cup progress at Portadown’s expense this evening.

The defender volleyed home the opener just before half-time and, after Joe Sheridan made it 2-0 early in the second period, the visitors carved out a number of opportunities to extend their advantage en route to a fully merited victory at Shamrock Park.

Cliftonville made one change from the XI that started Saturday night’s Boyle Sports Premiership meeting with the same opponents as Joel Thompson came in for Rory Hale in the middle of the park and, though the win was well deserved in the end, things might have been different had PJ Morrison not scrambled across to turn a Mikey Hewitt drive behind before making a save from Benji Wells.

At the other end, Liam McStravick had a fierce strike charged down before the Reds slowly but surely began to dictate proceedings and almost took the lead when Bannon’s header from a Sheridan corner delivery was kept out by Aaron McCarey.

The Scotsman made sure at the next time of asking though when, following Ben Quinn’s corner from the opposite flank, he showed strength and technique to guide the ball home at the far post.

Early in the second-half, Morrison took no chances in turning a Hewitt header over the top before Cliftonville doubled their advantage when Harry Wilson – sporting the captain’s armband in Hale’s absence – worked hard to win the ball back and Brian Healy flashed in a low cross that was turned in by Sheridan.

Portadown’s bid to fight back saw substitute Ben Kennedy curl wide and James Teelan smash the crossbar from close range, but the Reds were not without chances of their own with Sheridan calling McCarey into action after a dazzling run and Healy blasting just wide before a dangerous delivery from Cillian Murray found no takers in the middle – not that it mattered in the end, though, as Cliftonville saw things out to book their place in the next round.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Wightman, Bannon, Leppard, Samuels, Wilson, Sheridan, Thompson (Murray, 87 mins), McStravick (Hawthorne, 72 mins), Healy (Stanfield, 87 mins), Quinn (Campbell, 72 mins). Unused subs: Cremen-Cowan, Conlan, McClelland.