Monday Monthly: January

A few days on from Cliftonville’s first pe-season outing, cliftonvillefc.net today 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 the the term just finished – with a frustrating January taking centre stage today.

Things started promisingly enough with a convincing victory over Dundela in the fifth round of the Clearer Water Irish Cup; a precise Conor Falls lob, delightful debut goal from Brian Healy (below) and Sean Robertson’s inch-perfect free-kick ensuring comfortable progress.

A few days later, the Reds travelled to Ballymena United for what proved a controversial night of Sports Direct Premiership action.

Trailing to hotly disputed penalty awarded after just four minutes, the visitors responded to control the rest of the first-half and went in level at the interval thanks to a header from Keevan Hawthorne (below) – one of four Academy graduates in a starting XI that included an impressive debut from 16-year-old defender Shea McGarry.

United regained the lead early in the second period when Igor Rutkowski – whose earlier spot kick had squeezed past PJ Morrison – pounced after the visiting keeper was beaten by the bobbly pitch as he attempted to gather a shot from Daire O’Connor.

Ballymena stopper Sean O’Neill’s claim that Healy had kicked him in the face wasn’t bought by the officials, with referee Chris Morrison correctly showing the striker a yellow card rather than the red he had instinctively pulled from his pocket as the home custodian collapsed to the ground inexplicably holding his head.

Having bossed proceedings in the opening 45 minutes, the away side were unable to find the same rhythm as they went in search of a second equaliser but did conjure up one moment of sublime passing that yielded the leveller; substitutes Reece Jordan and Rory Hale combining before Harry Wilson slipped Liam McStravick into the channel and his cutback was expertly dispatched first time by Joe Gormley.

Cliftonville came close to an injury-time winner when Eric McWoods raced through only to be taken out by O’Neill, who was spared a red card by a vociferously contested offside flag, meaning the visitors were forced to contend with a point for their evening’s efforts.

That, however, was that as far as encouraging signs were concerned in January.

Though Healy headed in the opener during a dominant start against Carrick Rangers at Solitude, the subsequent capitulation left the Reds arguably flattered to only lose 4-1.

A similar, if not quite so emphatic, story unfolded at Seaview the following Tuesday when Ryan Curran’s low blast put Cliftonville in front during the County Antrim Shield Final only for the Gers to hit back with a late leveller that forced a penalty shootout – where, for neither the first nor last time, Jim Magilton’s men came out on the losing side.

Curran also delivered the breakthrough when Cliftonville did battle with Glenavon at Mourneview Park, only for the hosts to turn things around and emerge with all three points just a week before the teams went head-to-head on Irish Cup duty…

January 2026
Cliftonville 3-0 Dundela
Falls, Healy, Robertson

Ballymena United 2-2 Cliftonville
Hawthorne, Gormley

Cliftonville 1-4 Carrick Rangers
Healy

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

Glenavon 2-1 Cliftonville
Curran

Player of the Month: Harry Wilson
Goal of the Month: Brian Healy v Dundela