SETANTA CUP FIRST ROUND St Patrick's Athletic 2 Cliftonville 0 (Cliftonville win 3-2 on aggregate) :LAST YEAR'S beaten finalists St Patrick's Athletic bowed out at the first hurdle as they wasted more than enough chances to overturn a 3-0 deficit at Richmond Park last night.
A David McMillan goal with 10 minutes left, to put them 2-0 up on the night, provided a grandstand finish, but Cliftonville held out to go through to the quarter-finals.
George McMullan, who scored two of their goals in the first leg, was the Cliftonville hero again with a goal-line clearance from Derek Doyle on 88 minutes.
Cliftonville, third in the Irish League, packed midfield as they set out to defend their somewhat flattering advantage from Solitude last week. St Patrick’s might have been in front, but for missing two scoreable openings, inside eight minutes. Unattended at the back post, Anto Murphy should have done better than head wide from a Danny North free-kick. David McMillan was then also just off target with a diving header from Murphy’s superb diagonal cross.
Cliftonville, roared on relentlessly by their impressive support, were well-organised but having to defend frantically. Murphy’s long throw exposed their rearguard on 25 minutes when a poor clearance fell to Doyle whose drilled shot was hacked clear by Tony Kane.
Delightful improvisation from McMillan should have brought the opener on 28 minutes. Flicking the ball over a bamboozled defender, the striker’s composure let him down and he drilled his shot wide past the far post.
The pressure on the visitors goal finally told on 41 minutes. Another of Murphy’s long throws was flicked on and Dave Mulcahy scored with a terrific hooked volley from a tight angle. Mulcahy had the ball in the Cliftonville net again right on 45 minutes but it was ruled out for offside.
St Patrick’s struggled to build on their initiative until late in the second half. Substitute Stephen Bradley’s pass opened the Cliftonville defence on the right and when Derek Pender’s low cross wasn’t cleared McMillan rifled home the loose ball. Alas, to no avail as the Belfast side held.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Rogers; Pender (Stewart, 81 mins), E McMillan, Kenna, Shortall; Murphy (Keegan, 67 mins), McFaul, Mulcahy (Bradley, 56 mins), Doyle; D. McMillan, North.
CLIFTONVILLE: Connolly; Kane, Hutton, McVeigh, B. Holland (Burns, 15 mins); Garrett, Johnston, McMullan, Seydak; O'Connor; M Holland (Donnelly, 76 mins).
Referee: Derek Tomney(Dublin).
