Taking the fifth

Though the statistical omens are firmly on Cliftonville’s side, it is still with an understandable degree of  apprehension that many supporters will approach tomorrow’s Clearer Water Irish Cup fifth round tussle with Dundela.

For only eight times this century have the Reds failed to progress beyond the first hurdle of the competition but, with particularly harrowing memories of Banbridge Town and Warrenpoint still a little raw for some, cliftonvillefc.net today provides a reassuring look back over the last 25 years worth of Irish Cup openers.

Way back in 2001, an injury and suspension ravaged Cliftonville side embarked upon a potential banana skin trip to a little-known B Division outfit by the name of Dungannon Swifts and the troubles endured at Stangmore Park that snowy afternoon were something of a portent of things to come in the future.

Apparently cruising at 2-0 up, the Reds were pegged back and somewhat grateful to book a replay at home, where a more comfortable 4-1 victory took care of business – but the warning signs were there.

A 2002 tussle with Portadown also went to a replay, with Cliftonville – who had earned a 1-1 draw at Solitude – suffering an early exit courtesy of a 2-1 defeat at Shamrock Park, with a 1-0 loss to Linfield at Windsor Park delivering another immediate elimination 12 months later.

Bidding to get beyond the opening phase for the first time in three years, the Reds were dealt a horrible draw when high-flying Lisburn Distillery visited Solitude in 2004, only for Marty Tabb’s side to clock up a quite astounding 5-1 success.

Things appeared to be going just as smoothly in 2005 when Nathan McConnell’s brace had Cliftonville 2-0 up at home to Banbridge Town, only for the Second Division outfit to roar back through David Irwin and Alan Evans before Liam Fleming’s own goal sealed our fate.

The fifth round also proved a dead end in 2006 with Dungannon (inevitably) recording a 1-0 win in a Stangmore replay following a 1-1 draw at Solitude, with the Reds celebrating an overdue win when goals from Gary Kennedy, Mark Holland, Vincent Sweeney and Chris Scannell saw off Larne 4-2 in 2007.

A year later and Eddie Patterson’s side were back at Inver Park for another fifth round tie, when a 2-0 lead established by George McMullan and Francis Murphy was cancelled out ahead of Scannell plundering a late winner (above).

Cliftonville’s journey to the 2009 Final started with a 3-1 victory over Warrenpoint Town, while a brace from Kieran O’Connor (below) accounted for Distillery at New Grosvenor Stadium 12 months later.

Another fifth round pairing with Warrenpoint followed in 2011 and this time, the Reds would not have things anywhere near their own way. Fortunate to escape Milltown with a 1-1 draw, they were unable to find a way through back on home soil before tumbling out on penalties.

Mark Clarke and Stephen Garrett scored the goals to get the better of Ards in 2012 (main image), Joe Gormley and Liam Boyce each bagged doubles to see off Ballinamallard United in 2013, with the same duo on target in a 2-2 draw with Coleraine the following season – a tie which bears the distinction of being our last ever fifth round clash to go to a replay; 3-0 and 4-1 deficits at The Showgrounds being eaten into by Diarmuid O’Carroll, Ciaran Caldwell and Gormley but ultimately not enough to rescue the situation.

Both 2015 and 2016 produced relatively straightforward home triumphs over Ards Rangers and Immaculata respectively before 2017 sent the Reds into what proved something of a landmark trip to Ballymena United, where Ross Lavery was on target in a 1-1 draw. With extra-time unable to separate the sides, the contest progressed to a penalty shootout, where the infamous ABBA format was utilised for the first – and, so far, last – time in Club history; successive misses allowing the Sky Blues to claim a 4-3 win.

There was no shortage of drama the following January when, for the third time in 10 seasons, Warrenpoint provided the opposition on fifth round day.

Former Cliftonville forward Martin Murray opened the scoring only for Jamie Harney and Lavery to turn the tie on its head before Jaimie McGovern’s dismissal offered the visitors a chance they made the most of when Murray netted again for 2-2. After the Point’s Player/Manager Matthew Tipton became the second player of the day to be red carded, the hosts went 4-2 up as Harney (above) completed an improbable hat-trick ahead of a late Darius Roohi consolation further adding to anxiety around Solitude.

Such trepidation was in fulsome supply in 2019 when, despite a largely dominant display against Dungannon, the Reds emerged with a 1-0 defeat (below) which, in an acknowledgment guaranteed to tempt fate, remains Cliftonville’s last loss at the first hurdle to date.

Indeed, we have conceded just one goal in six opening ties since then, compared to 28 scored, a run that started with a 6-0 victory over Hanover in 2020.

The Irish Cup was, of course, restructured due to Covid-19 scheduling issues in both 2021 and 2022, with the Reds entering in the first round on both occasions; banking a 5-1 defeat of Portstewart in a behind-closed-doors affair (below) and 5-0 success over Islandmagee to set them on their way in each year.

In 2023, this weekend’s opponents Dundela went down 5-0 at Wilgar Park on a night that saw Ronan Hale claim a fifth round hat-trick, which he duly followed up with another treble when Coleraine were eliminated 3-0 after extra-time to kick off Cliftonville’s glory run the following year (below).

Last season, meanwhile, strikes from Ryan Corrigan, Axel Piesold, Gormley and Kris Lowe earned a 4-0 win against Banbridge Rangers on an emotional afternoon that saw the Reds return to action for the first time since the tragic loss of team-mate Michael Newberry.

Every Irish Cup story has a beginning and, as we count down the hours to Cliftonville’s latest admission to the tournament, here’s hoping the months ahead yield their fair share of happy memories that will be spoken about for years to come.

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25 years of Irish Cup openers
2001: Dungannon Swifts 2-2 Cliftonville (Replay: Cliftonville 4-1 Dungannon Swifts)
2002: Cliftonville 1-1 Portadown (Replay: Portadown 2-1 Cliftonville)
2003: Linfield 1-0 Cliftonville
2004: Cliftonville 5-1 Lisburn Distillery
2005: Cliftonville 2-3 Banbridge Town
2006: Cliftonville 1-1 Dungannon Swifts (Replay: Dungannon Swifts 1-0 Cliftonville)
2007: Larne 2-4 Cliftonville
2008: Larne 2-3 Cliftonville
2009: Cliftonville 3-1 Warrenpoint Town
2010: Lisburn Distillery 0-2 Cliftonville
2011: Warrenpoint Town 1-1 Cliftonville (Replay: Cliftonville 0-0 Warrenpoint Town; 1-3 on penalties)
2012: Cliftonville 2-0 Ards
2013: Cliftonville 4-2 Ballinamallard United
2014: Cliftonville 2-2 Coleraine (Replay: Coleraine 4-3 Cliftonville)
2015: Cliftonville 6-0 Ards Rangers
2016: Cliftonville 2-0 Immaculata
2017: Ballymena United 1-1 Cliftonville (4-3 on penalties)
2018: Cliftonville 4-3 Warrenpoint Town
2019: Cliftonville 0-1 Dungannon Swifts
2020: Cliftonville 6-0 Hanover
2021: Cliftonville 5-1 Portstewart
2022: Cliftonville 5-0 Islandmagee
2023: Cliftonville 5-0 Dundela
2024: Coleraine 0-3 Cliftonville
2025: Cliftonville 4-0 Banbridge Rangers

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Cliftonville v Dundela
Saturday, January 10
Adults: £15
Concessions: £10
Tickets: General Sale
Members Tickets and Season Tickets NOT valid