REDS SWEEP TO CRUSHING EUROPA LEAGUE VICTORY

04 Jul 2019
football
© INPHO/Stephen Hamilton Conor McMenamin celebrates opening the scoring for Cliftonville

Cliftonville hit four goals past Welsh visitors Barry Town United at Solitude to comfortably reach the next round of the Europa League.

Scoreless from last week's first leg in Cardiff, the Reds moved in front after 25 minutes through Conor McMenamin's header from Ronan Doherty's corner whipped over from the right.

Joe Gormley then added a perfectly timed second just two minutes before the break, blasting past keeper Mike Lewis from around 12-yards out after Chris Curran delivered the ball across the area.

Paddy McLaughlin's side looked to extend their advantage into the second half but despite having a number of chances it took two quick fire goals late in the game to rubber stamp their dominance.

Conor McDermott made it 3-0 on 82 minutes, coming in from the right to slot the ball through Lewis' legs at the near post.

Then, not long after that, Rory Donnelly bagged number four in off the post after Gormley laid the ball off from the left.

Cliftonville now face Norwegian side FK Haugesund in the First Qualifying Round. The first leg takes place at Solitude next Thursday (11th) with the return a week later.

Cliftonville: Brush, McDermott, Ives, Breen, C. Curran, R. Donnelly, Bagnall, Doherty, Gormley, McMenamin, J. Gorman subs Dunne (not used), Harney (replaced Gormley 85), A. Harkin (not used), R. Curran (not used), Foster (not used), Wilson (replaced McMenamin 85), Maguire (replaced R. Donnelly 85)

Barry Town United: Lewis, Morgan, Hugh, Cooper, Patton, McLaggon, Greening, Cotterill, Hood, Green, Press subs Ratcliffe (not used), Watkins (not used), Compton (replaced Cotterill 64), Abbruzzese (not used), Snaith (replaced Hood 79), Cosslett (not used), Fry (replaced Patten 73)