Cliftonville too strong for Ballymena United as they ease into final
The North Belfast team were simply too hot to handle for David Jeffrey’s Ballymena United in what developed into a low-key one-sided affair.
When Ryan Curran struck twice in the first half, it as good as sealed the Sky Blues’ fate.
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Hide AdJoe Gormley then bagged his 10th goal of the season to add a little icing to the cake.
Cliftonville will now face Coleraine in the showcase final – the game scheduled for March.
It will be the Reds’ first appearance in the decider when they defeated Ards back in 2015 – it was the fourth successive time they lifted the trophy.
Following 26 minutes of uninspiring sparring, it was United who threatened first with a penetrating right-wing dash from Ryan Waide, which took him clear of Levi Ives.
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Hide AdBut when he attempted to thread a pass to the unmarked Leroy Millar, Reds defender Jonny Addis got back to get in a telling block.
As fate would have it, United were made to pay for that moment of indecision as the Reds forged ahead 60 second later.
Gormley broke on the right before finding Paul O’Neill, who totally fluffed his lines only for the ball to fall for Curran, who rammed home.
The Reds upped the ante after that. They almost struck again on 33 minutes when Ives’ corner kick fell for Gormley, only to see his low goal-bound drive hoofed clear by defender Conor Keeley.
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Hide AdThe impressive O’Neill then took off on a dazzling solo dash, cutting in from the left before sending a thundering drive only inches over the crossbar, with Jordan Williamson at full stretch.
But the home fans were celebrating again two minutes before half-time, with that man Curran sending Williamson the wrong way from the penalty spot after the goalkeeper had sent Gormley crashing to the ground with a clumsy challenge just inside the box.
Gormley then displayed his predatory instincts on 51 minutes, finishing off a wonderful move to send the Red Army into raptures.
Conor McDermott’s searching pass picked out Ives on the left, who cut the ball back for the big striker to thump home from the edge of the box.
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Hide AdNow battered and bruised, United attempted to repair the damage when Leroy Millar met a corner kick from Ross Redman on 77 minutes, but his header flashed well wide.
Then, with the clock ticking down, Millar again tried his luck from 20-yards, but his free kick again failed to test Luke McNicholas, who had one of his easiest nights between the posts in the home goal.
CLIFTONVILLE: McNicholas, McDermott, Ives, C Curran, R Curran (Kearney 86), O’Neill (Donnelly 75), McDonagh, Lowe, Addis (Coates 88), Gormley, Turner (Harney 88).
Unused subs: Dunne, Foster, Doherty.
BALLYMENA UNITED: Williamson, Redman (Graham 82), Wilson, McElory, Waide (Parkhouse 58), McCullough, Kane, Barr, McGrory, Keeley, Millar.
Unused subs: Johnston, Chapman, Henderson, Bramall, Smith.
REFEREE: Andrew Davey.
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