Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Steven Crawford

Cliftonville kept calm to seal cup progress reveals Paddy McLaughlin

Paddy McLaughlin says the mood in the Cliftonville dressing room at half time during their League Cup tie with Newry City was calm despite his side being 2-0 down.

The cup holders found themselves trailing to goals from Brian Healy and Donal Sullion at Solitude but McLaughlin was confident his side could turn things around.

And so it proved as a quick-fire brace from Joe Gormley levelled things up at the start of the second half before Ronan Hale grabbed the winner in the closing stages to set up a semi-final meeting with Coleraine.

Read next: Stuart King left seeing red after Carrick Rangers defeat at Cliftonville

"They were two good finishes from the Newry lads but we were quite relaxed and calm at half-time," McLaughlin told the Cliftonville website.

"I wasn’t in there banging doors and kicking tables. I knew if we kept playing the way we’d been playing, we would create more chances.

“We’d played some good football, moved the ball really quickly and had three or four decent chances in the first-half.

"Their keeper’s pulled off a couple of saves and we’ve probably missed opportunities in front of goal.

“We had to be more clinical in front of goal and we had to have more quality in front of goal and we showed that in the second-half.

“It was vital that we scored the next goal because if Newry had scored it, the game was over but getting an early one to make it 2-1 was the trigger for us to go and dominate the second-half and attack at every opportunity.

“Fair play to the boys, they stuck to the plan and stuck to the belief in themselves and those around them, and they got their rewards in the end.

"They were two freak goals to put us behind but overall, I think our general play fully deserved the win.”

READ NEXT:

Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.