First and foremost: All four won
Celebrating landmark achievements and curious quirks in the history of Ireland’s Oldest Football Club, cliftonvillefc.net today continues a new mini series reflecting on some of the trailblazing enterprises where Cliftonville have led the way.
Every week throughout the summer break, ‘First and Foremost’ will shine a spotlight on startling statistics, tall tales and magical milestones that saw the Reds play a pioneering role in the story – with Cliftonville Ladies’ weekend Boyle Sports Cup triumph inspiring our latest retrospective.
For 10 years prior to Brendan Lynch’s side clinching League Cup success in four consecutive seasons, the Reds’ Men’s team did likewise during an historic association with what is now known as the BetMcLean Cup.
Back in 2012, Cliftonville had only ever hoisted the silverware on one prior occasion – a memorable 2003 Final victory over Larne at a rain-lashed Windsor Park.
Almost a decade later, Tommy Breslin’s side set off on an incredible 22-match unbeaten run in the competition, starting with a 4-1 victory over Tobermore United at Solitude.
Further home wins against Ballinamallard United (5-0) and Portadown (3-1), saw the Reds progress to a semi-final showdown with Glenavon, where a 3-0 success booked a North Belfast Derby Irn Bru League Cup Final.
In weather reminiscent of the win over Larne 10 years earlier, Cliftonville tore Crusaders apart in a scintillating display that saw Diarmuid O’Carroll open the scoring before Joe Gormley’s close-range conversion doubled our advantage.
Gormley’s second of the night 18 minutes from time put the destination of the trophy beyond doubt ahead of Ryan Ctaney putting the seal on things with an emphatic finish.
2012/13: Irn Bru Cup
Second round: Cliftonville 4-1 Tobermore United
Third round: Cliftonville 5-0 Ballinamallard United
Quarter-final: Cliftonville 3-1 Portadown
Semi-final: Cliftonville 3-0 Glenavon
Final: Cliftonville 4-0 Crusaders
The Reds’ defence of the Cup began with a comfortable 3-0 win over Harland & Wolff Welders before Dundela were hit with five goals without reply.
Having overcome both sets of that particular east Belfast rivalry, Cliftonville duly eliminated either side of the North Down derby divide; seeing off Bangor 4-0 at Solitude ahead of a 2-0 success against Ards at Clandeboye Park.
That set up another decisive date with the Crues and, though the weather maintained consistency for this Wasp Solutions League Cup Final, the venue was much different with a jam-packed Solitude hosting a Sky Sports showdown that didn’t quite live up to the previous year’s billing.
With neither side able to produce a goal during neither the regulation 90 minutes nor extra-time, the contest progressed to a penalty shootout, where conversions from Gormley, O’Carroll and Ciaran Caldwell ensured the silverware would be staying in place – and also banked another piece of Club history as the team celebrated Cliftonville’s first successful retention of a trophy since the Belfast Charity Cup triumphs of 1908 and 1909.
2013/14: Wasp Solutions League Cup
Second round: Cliftonville 3-0 H&W Welders
Third round: Cliftonville 5-0 Dundela
Quarter-final: Cliftonville 4-0 Bangor
Semi-final: Ards 0-2 Cliftonville
Final: Cliftonville 0-0 Crusaders (3-2 on penalties)
Having kept seven consecutive clean sheets across two seasons in the League Cup, Breslin’s team kicked off their latest defence with an eighth courtesy of a 6-0 victory over Wakehurst.
Carrick Rangers ended that sequence in a 4-1 loss at Solitude in the third round but, once the Reds had beaten Portadown 2-0 at the quarter-final stage, dreams of a third consecutive League Cup victory began to gather pace.
Bangor, however, did their very best to thwart that ambition during a ding-dong semi-final battle that Cliftonville squeezed through with a 4-3 scoreline, meaning it was back to Windsor Park for the Final – with a different opponent lying in wait.
Things got off to a perfect start against Ballymena United when, virtually straight from kick-off, Gormley took advantage of some hesitant defending to break the deadlock.
When the same player doubled the Reds’ advantage prior to half-time, the match looked done and dusted only for the Sky Blues to hit back with two goals in seven minutes before the hour-mark, setting up a nervy finale that could have gone either way until a moment of Martin Donnelly magic settled the issue and confirmed three-in-a-row.
2014/15: Wasp Solutions League Cup
Second round: Cliftonville 6-0 Wakehurst
Third round: Cliftonville 4-1 Carrick Rangers
Quarter-final: Cliftonville 2-0 Portadown
Semi-final: Cliftonville 4-3 Bangor
Final: Ballymena United 2-3 Cliftonville
With Linfield having won the competition in 1998, 1999 and 2000, the question was whether Cliftonville could make history of their own by going all the way for a fourth straight year.
Their bid to do so got off to an underwhelming start courtesy of a 2-1 home win over Dundela that is perhaps best remembered for the outrageous long-range own goal scored by Martin Murray.
A dogged 3-3 draw at Stangmore Park ended in penalty shootout success over Dungannon Swifts – yes, really – ahead of a quarter-pounder against Glentoran in the last-eight.
Trailing to a goal by Jonny Addis, the Reds – by now under the management of Gerard Lyttle – responded through David McDaid’s leveller and a wonderful Ryan Catney strike before Steven McCullough’s own goal afforded breathing space that proved crucial in the aftermath of Curtis Allen reducing the arrears to 3-2.
Things didn’t get any more straightforward at the semi-final stage, where 90 goalless minutes saw Cliftonville and Warrenpoint Town proceed to extra-time at Milltown, where a Jay Donnelly finish ultimately settled the issue.
Championship side Ards then provided the opposition for the Reds’ shot at four-in-a-row glory; Martin Donnelly’s first-half opener setting the team on course for the JBE League Cup at Solitude.
Though McDaid saw a penalty saved by former Cliftonville keeper Ryan Brown, he did find the net to make it 2-0 before Stephen Garrett wrapped things up to pop the cork on the Red Army’s latest trophy celebration.
2015/16: JBE League Cup
Second round: Cliftonville 2-1 Dundela
Third round: Dungannon Swifts 3-3 Cliftonville (4-5 on penalties)
Quarter-final: Cliftonville 3-2 Glentoran
Semi-final: Warrenpoint Town 0-1 Cliftonville (After extra-time)
Final: Cliftonville 3-0 Ards
Cliftonville would go on to register a Club record 11-1 win over Lisburn Distillery and 6-0 defeat of Annagh United in the opening rounds of the 2016/17 competition, but their stunning run in the tournament was eventually brought to a close by Glenavon in a quarter-final tussle at Mourneview Park where, following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes, the Lurgan Blues claimed a 3-2 success in extra-time.
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