CLIFTONVILLE booked their place in the BetMcLean Cup final in dramatic fashion as Destiny Ojo scored three minutes from the end of extra-time to deny 10-man Larne.
Shaun Want received his marching orders early in the second half but Larne held on until the 117th minute when the visitors got their reward for the number of balls they put into the box when Ojo got on the end of Rory Hale’s cross.
It had been a night of few goalscoring opportunities throughout and always looked like one would win it, which Jim Magilton’s men found in the end to book their place in the final against Glentoran in March.
The first big opportunity came the way of Cliftonville on 17 minutes, with the problems all of Larne’s own making.
Skipper Cian Bolger’s attempted pass out to the left flank was intercepted by Joe Gormley and he made it as far as the box before getting his shot off, which Rohan Ferguson did well to turn round the post, low down to his right.
Five minutes later, Larne went close themselves. Good work down the left flank from Sean Graham saw him feed the ball to Conor McKendry and the former Coleraine man cut in before bringing a good save from Odumosu, from just outside the box.
The rest of the first game became something of a chess match, with much of the play taking place in the middle of the park.
There was one moment of controversy just before the break when Cliftonville were appealing for a foul against former player Levi Ives, who was already on a yellow card at the time.
In Friday’s encounter between the two sides Larne made a fast start to the second half however this time they were up against it seven minutes after the restart.Rohan Ferguson’s sloppy pass put Larne on the back foot and, trying to make amends Shaun Want lunged on Rory Hale.
This time referee Tony Clarke was quick with the red card for Want, with a melee ensuing before eventually being calmed down.
The visitors almost capitalised on the man advantage just after the hour mark when Luke Conlan did well to cut the ball back for Axel Piesold, who met the cross on the run and brought a good save from Ferguson.
Larne were working hard to stay in the game at this point, but almost drew first blood themselves 20 minutes from time when substitute Ryan Nolan’s header, from a Levi Ives free-kick, forced Odumosu to tip the ball over.
Cliftonville put a number of balls into the Larne box but struggled to create a clearcut opening as the game ticked into extra-time.
The extra-time followed the same pattern with the visitors finally getting their reward with the number of crosses they were producing.
Rory Hale’s cross from the left was met by the head of Destiny Ojo – not long on as a substitute – and he headed home from four yards out to send the away end into delirium.
Larne:
Ferguson, Want, Ives (’119 Ryan), Donnelly, McKendry (’63 Nolan), Graham (’105 Randall), McEneff (’63 Thomson), Bolger, Cosgrove, Sloan (’105 Magee), Gallagher
Subs: Besant, Simpson
Cliftonville:
Odumosu, Addis, Kearney, Hale, Curran (’100 Ojo), Conlan (’105 McGuinness), Piesold (’119 Pepper), Gormley (’80 Corrigan), Glynn (’91 Madden), Casey, Wilson (’80 Pettifer)
Subs: Ridd
Referee: Tony Clarke