Cliftonville's captains key to Irish Cup success
It is said that there isn't room for sentiment in football, but at Windsor Park on Saturday Chris Curran was provided with a fairytale ending to his Cliftonville career.
The club captain was playing his 440th and final game for the Reds after 11 years at Solitude before retiring.
He came off the bench to help Jim Magilton's side through extra time as they clinched their first Irish Cup since 1979.
It is a day that he and his teammates will never forget, as they wrote their names into Cliftonville folklore.
Despite winning the Irish Premiership as well as multiple League Cups and County Antrim Shields during his distinguished spell with the Reds, he says this victory is the "highlight" of his career.
"I was bowing out anyway, but this almost makes a career, it’s a special feeling," he said.
"I was contemplating it [retirement] last season and I’m so happy I hung in there for another year.
"There were different conversations about joining the coaching staff and that would have been special too but there is no comparison to playing and I’m just grateful for the last 11 years.
"I think I’ll be known now as the captain who won the Irish Cup for Cliftonville."
'It means so much'
The fairytale didn't extend as far for Cliftonville's record goal scorer and vice-captain Joe Gormley, who despite also completing his set by lifting the Irish Cup, didn't make it on to the pitch during the pulsating final.
David Odumosu, Odhran Casey and Sean Stewart were all forced off with injury, with Curran and Ben Wilson also introduced ahead of Gormley as the Reds looked for pace in behind.
That didn't dampen his spirits much, evidenced in the fact that he was the first player to charge from the bench to celebrate with Ronan Hale after he converted the third goal.
Gormley did admit he was getting bad flashbacks to the 2013 final the Reds lost against Glentoran when the spate of injuries hit.
"When David and Odhran went off injured it reminded me of the Irish Cup final in 2013, [Liam] Boyce had a shoulder knock and it basically ruled him out of the game, so I was fearing the worst," he conceded.
"No one ever gives us a chance, but the Irish Cup is coming back to Solitude. It means so much to the people at Cliftonville."
Gormley was also able to lift the trophy alongside Curran and credited captain on the day Rory Hale for the kind gesture on such a big day.
"I wasn’t expecting to lift it, Chris is the captain and Rory was the captain on the day, but Rory said 'Joe, I want you to lift it' and it’s an honour.
"I appreciate that he did and that's Rory Hale in a nutshell."
'It's a relief'
Whilst his brother Ronan Hale will grab the headlines for his match-winning goals, Rory Hale, captain on the day, epitomised Cliftonville's renewed vigour in the game after the second half.
He produced a man-of-the-match and captain's display to help his side over the line.
Hale knew he had to stand up and be counted after a tough start to the game for the Reds, which was compounded by Ethan McGee scoring the Linfield opener on 14 minutes.
"We were scared the first 20 to 25 minutes," he said.
"I thought Linfield were super and our young lads took a while to settle into the game but when they did what a performance."
Hale rallied his side at half-time by asking them to produce a performance for Odumosu and Casey, who was taken to hospital with a suspected leg break after an awkward fall just before the break,
"We mentioned that at half-time, he [Casey] is sitting in the hospital, the least we could do is run about for him.
"I said to them I’d rather lose 5-0 and go out fighting than just be a whimper 1-0 loss.
"We got to grips with it and I'm just relieved."
A day 45 years in the making and Curran, Gormley and Hale certainly all played their parts in different ways to bring the Irish Cup back to Solitude.
