Monday Monthly: September

As football fans around the globe count down to Thursday’s eagerly-anticipated World Cup opener, cliftonvillefc.net today continues a new weekly mini-series reflecting on the good, the bad and the in-betweens of the 2025/26 season.

Every Monday between now and the new domestic campaign getting under way, we’ll take a chronological look back on a month from the the term just finished – with September taking centre stage today.

Having finished August by claiming their first win of the season, Cliftonville set about a bright start to the new month with a hard-fought North Belfast Derby victory over Crusaders as goals from Eric McWoods and Callum McCay (above) booked progress to the quarter-finals of the County Antrim Shield.

A tricky assignment at Carrick Rangers followed but, having taken a first-half lead through Rory Hale (below), the Reds appeared on course for a comfortable three points when Jack Keaney doubled their advantage before PJ Morrison made his latest penalty save to keep Jack Scott at bay – an intervention that proved particularly telling when the hosts set up a nervy finale by pulling a goal back in the closing stages.

Cliftonville made it four wins from four in dramatic style when they battled back to beat Ballymena United in a madcap encounter at Solitude a few days later.

After a deflected cross had put the visitors in front, a thumping header from Bayo Fapetu made it 1-1 debutant Sean Robertson’s cross was turned into his own net by defender Stephen O’Donnell.

The Reds were then awarded a penalty when Ben Kennedy punched a Rory Hale curler off the line but, rather than flash a straight red card at the perpetrator, a case of mistaken identity saw referee Louise Thompson give a yellow to O’Donnell. Having already been cautioned, the ex-Coleraine men was duly shown red but understandably pleaded his innocence, leading to a lengthy delay before the spot kick could be taken – with Joe Gormley adding to the drama by blasting over the top.

Despite being down to 10 men, United rallied to level through Aaron Jarvis with just a few minutes remaining but their hopes of claiming a battling point were undone when Keaney (above) stroked home a late free-kick to spark joyous scenes at the end of a captivating encounter.

The Reds’ bid to register a fifth straight win got off to a miserable start against Dungannon Swifts at Stangmore Park, where Jim Magilton’s side fell behind when a Tomas Galvin shot was handled on the line by Rory Hale before Junior forced the loose ball into the net. Referee Declan Hassan had, however, been somewhat hasty in blowing his whistle to award the penalty and, duty bound to rule the goal out, was then obliged to give Hale his marching orders.

Junior stepped up to convert from the spot before the hosts doubled their advantage when Caolan Marron rose to meet Kealan Dillon’s free-kick and, though Cliftonville had serious momentum in the wake of Joe Gormley pulling one back, Jonny Addis’ dismissal saw them reduced to nine men for the closing exchanges and distinguished whatever hopes they had of mounting a comeback.

Another defeat followed seven days later when, though Odhran Casey headed home an injury-time equaliser (above), the Reds duly conceded an almost immediate winner to Portadown, meaning they ended September with three wins and two losses to their name ahead of beginning their defence of the BetMcLean Cup in October’s opening fixture…

September 2025
Cliftonville 2-0 Crusaders
McWoods, McCay

Carrick Rangers 1-2 Cliftonville
Hale, Keaney

Cliftonville 3-2 Ballymena United
Fapetu, OG, Keaney

Dungannon Swifts 2-1 Cliftonville
Gormley

Cliftonville 1-2 Portadown
Casey

Player of the Month: Odhran Casey
Goal of the Month: Jack Keaney v Ballymena United