Reds pay the penalty again

Cliftonville 1-1 Carrick Rangers [2-4 on penalties]

Cliftonville suffered yet more penalty shootout agony in slipping to defeat against Carrick Rangers in this evening’s County Antrim Shield Final.

Despite getting off to a dream start when Ryan Curran netted the opener inside three minutes, the Reds were pegged back late on before going down 4-2 from the spot – a third consecutive shootout loss following on from last season’s Irish Cup decider and the recent BetMcLean Cup quarter-final with Glentoran.

Boss Jim Magilton made six changes to the side that lost to the same opposition on Sports Direct Premiership duty on Saturday but it was one of the surviving faces who broke the deadlock early on; Curran slamming home after receiving possession from Joe Gormley just outside the box.

Gormley went close to doubling Cliftonville’s advantage just past the half-hour mark only to see his effort blocked by Jimmy Callacher before Jonny Addis’ fierce attempt from the resulting corner was kept out by goalkeeper Scott Pengelly.

Shaun Leppard nodded over from a Rory Hale delivery just before the break, with Gormley sending an attempt wide early in the second period.

Though Carrick were largely on top after the interval, the Reds did go close again when Hale touched a free-kick into Gormley’s path only for the striker’s low drive to be kept out by Pengelly.

At the other end, however, Reds keeper PJ Morrison was considerably busier, making a number of smart stops with the most notable being to deny Adam Lecky.

It was, however, Lecky who made it 1-1 when he stroked in from close range following a spell of Carrick pressure, yet Cliftonville came agonisingly close to winning it in the closing minutes when Curran’s ball across the face of goal was touched just over the top by the outstretched boot of Liam McStravick.

With neither side able to fashion a decisive strike, the contest progressed to penalties, where the Reds got off to the worst possible start when Curran missed the target.

Though Jonny Addis and Rory Hale netted thereafter, Pengelly’s save to deny McStravick meant that Aidan Steele’s successful conversion secured a 4-2 success for Carrick.

Cliftonville: Morrison, Addis, Wilson, Hale, Curran, Leppard, Jordan, Gormley (Pepper, 76 mins), Kelly, Toole, Fapetu (McStavick, 83 mins). Unused subs: Ridd, Robertson, Hawthorne, Sheridan, McGarry.