Three and easy for Reds as boss Gray insists Joe The Goal is not for sale
DANSKE BANK PREMIERSHIP
ADAMANT Cliftonville boss Barry Gray has told predatory rivals that Joe Gormley is off limits this January after his star striker was among the goals again in their 3-1 win over Newry City last night.
The win takes Gray’s Reds up to fourth in the Danske Bank Premiership table after they fought back from a goal down to take all three points.
In front of the Sky Sports cameras at Solitude, defender Darragh Noonan had given the visitors the lead, but in a quickfire eight minute spell, Rory Donnelly, Gormley and Ryan Curran all found the back of the net to ensure there would be no shock result.
And, after the game, Gray insisted that Gormley, known as Joe The Goal, will be going nowhere when the transfer window opens in the New Year, with Airtricity Premier Division side Shamrock Rovers reportedly ready to make a bid for Cliftonville’s all-time leading scorer.
“Joe is contracted with us, he’s a Cliftonville player, he wants to be here, we want him and he’s a big part of what we’re doing, going forward,” was Gray’s frank assessment. “That’s how it will stay.”
CLIFTONVILLE returned to fourth place in the Danske Bank Premiership with a comfortable comeback victory over Newry City at Solitude last night.
After taking a fourth minute lead through Darragh Noonan, the visitors saw a series of golden opportunities go to waste before the Reds made them pay for their wastefulness in a ruthless eight minute spell that saw Rory Donnelly, Joe Gormley and Ryan Curran on target.
Neither side really threatened any sort of surge during a tame second-half, but that won’t matter to Cliftonville boss Barry Gray who, as well as exacting some measure of revenge for what he labelled an “embarrassing” loss to the same opponents back in September, saw his side edge closer to the top of the table following a weekend that saw top two Glenavon and Linfield drop points.
The first chance of the evening delivered the opening goal. A Newry free-kick down the right was cleverly worked, Mark Hughes fooling everyone inside the area by cutting the ball back for his brother Stephen.
His first-time shot didn’t have enough on it to dart through a crowded penalty area but did fall favourably for Noonan to slot low beyond goalkeeper Richard Brush.
Stephen Hughes had a decent chance to make it 2-0 but dragged wide after being played through by Stephen Teggart, while Mark McCabe could only find the side netting with what would prove the visitors’ best chance of extending their lead.
Cliftonville, who had threatened through a Rory Donnelly header and Gormley volley, were starting to find their groove and drew level on 27 minutes when Donnelly and Chris Curran exchanged passes inside the area, allowing the striker to weave his way past the challenge of goalkeeper Andy Coleman and convert from close range.
All of a sudden, Newry were beginning to regret those spurned opportunities to put some daylight between the sides, and their situation worsened when slack marking allowed Gormley to convert unchallenged at the back post after more fancy footwork from Rory Donnelly wide on the right.
If they felt a little sorry for themselves after seeing their lead overturned in just a matter of minutes, City had every reason to be aggrieved when Cliftonville opened up a two-goal lead soon after.
An error of judgement from assistant referee George Argyropoulos saw the hosts awarded a corner that should never have been given and, from Levi Ives’ delivery, the ball dropped for Ryan Curran to thunder home.
A superb saving tackle from Noonan stopped Jay Donnelly from adding a fourth before the break and, though the goals had flowed during an entertaining first-half, the second period may well have accelerated the cancellation of a few Sky Sports subscriptions such was the lack of flair on offer.
Pressure from Darren King ensured Chris Curran couldn’t get a strike on target before both goalkeepers caught the eye with a brace of saves apiece.
First, Coleman flew across his goal to claw out a delightful flicked shot from man of the match Rory Donnelly ahead of opposite number Brush thwarting Dale Montgomery just when Newry looked dead set to halve the deficit.
Good work from Jay Donnelly presented Ryan Curran with a chance to double his own personal tally but Coleman was alert to the danger, as was Brush when visiting substitute Tiarnan Rushe threatened to set up a nervy final few minutes from a Cliftonville point of view.