Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Reds Brush aside Blues in shootout
AET, C’ville win 4-3 on pens
RICHARD BRUSH was the hero for Cliftonville in last night’s penalty shootout victory at Windsor Park as the Reds reached the semis in dramatic circumstances.
Brush saved from Dale Taylor and Niall Quinn to give the Solitude side a 4-3 spot kick success after a thrilling game ended 2-2 after extra-time.
Cliftonville were 2-0 up through Ronan Doherty and Ryan Curran.
It looked over for Linfield until 15-year-old sub Taylor fired in superbly on 81 minutes and on 85 Kirk Millar levelled with a great free kick from 25 yards.
Close shaves followed before the shootout with Ryan Curran, Chris Curran, Aaron Donnelly and Conor Mcmenamin on target for the Reds whose miss came from Thomas Maguire.
Charlie Allen, Kirk Millar and Daniel Reynolds converted for the Blues but crucially Brush kept out Taylor and Quinn.
Glentoran defeated Larne 3-2 with an extra-time winner courtesy of Darren Murray.
Davy Mcdaid gave Larne the lead with an audacious long-range lob before Navid Nasseri drew the Glens level.
Elvio van Overbeek’s effort put the home side in front on 75 only for Marty Donnelly to equalise 60 seconds later but Murray was the hero on 97.
Ballymena are also into the last four after beating Crusaders 3-2 on penalties. David Jeffrey’s side took the lead with a superb strike from Shane Mcginty that was levelled up by David Cushley’s cracking effort.
In the all Championship clash H&W Welders won 1-0 at Ards thanks to Scott Davidson.