MARTY Quinn's Cliftonville stumbled rather than marched into the Calor County Antrim Shield final at Solitude last night, after overcoming the challenge of a gallant Distillery.
The Reds will face a Glentoran side on February 2 in the decider after securing victory through goalscorers, Shane Mulholland and Jody Tolan.
Cliftonville began the game more sprightly than their Division One opponents.
The lively Tommy McCallion was felled by Distillery fullback Chris Deegan and from the resultant free kick Shane Mulholland fired in superbly from 25 yards.
It was a goal that not only caught out Distillery keeper, Andy McDonald, but also the Solitude faithful who were still filing into the ground when the Down gaelic football player scored.
Five minutes later Saturday’s goal-hero Sean Murray should have made it two for Cliftonville, only to be challenged by ex-Red defender James McDonagh just as the Dublin striker was about to pull the trigger
Late in the second half, after a flurry of substitutions and more Distillery pressure, Cliftonville launched a rare break which enabled Murray to lay on a path to his fellow striker, Jody Tolan to finish the game off.
The 2-0 scoreline simply didn’t do Paul Kirk’s side justice and showed that they are more than a match for their Premier League counterparts.
On this performance one would expect to see the Ballyskeagh young guns playing in the premier division next year.
Cliftonville: McLaughlin; Small, Donaghy, Tabb, Mulvenna, Sliney, McCallion, Mulholland, Tolan, S Murray, Donnelly
Subs used: Collins and P Murray.
Distillery: McDonald; Crothers, Deegan, Clifford, J McDonagh, G Murray, McIlroy, Kelly, P McDonagh, Armour, McCloskey
Subs used: Pavis, Clapham, and Cunningham.
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MICHAEL Judge was the Republic of Ireland hero yesterday as he won a gripping black ball decider against Northern Ireland’s Joe Swail to keep alive his side’s hopes of reaching the final of the Nations Cup at the Telewest Arena, Newcastle.
Their 6-5 victory still leaves Ken Doherty’s men in fourth place overall, two frames behind joint second placed Wales and Northern Ireland, who meet today.
With two comprehensive wins already under their belt, Scotland look to have already booked one of the final spots, so the rest are fighting for second.
It could have been all so different for Dennis Taylor and co had Swail managed to repeat the heroics which he produced against John Parrott on Monday.
The Belfast man was well in contention in the final frame after knocking in a 45 break to reduce Judge’s early lead to just six points. Eventually it came down to the black, with Swail needing to pot it to force a re-spotted black.
But it was Judge who took his chance to claim the frame 70-56.
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BELFAST side, Queen’s University, will be without Armagh intercounty man Enda McNulty who will be exam-tied, for this Saturday's Ryan Cup football semi-final replay against NUI Galway in Enniskillen.
Brendan Sheehy has been ruled out of the entire Sigerson campaign because of a groin injury.
