Barry Town United will play Irish Premiership play-off winners Cliftonville in the preliminary round of Europa League qualifying.
The South Wales side will host Cliftonville on June 27 at Leckwith Stadium in Cardiff and then travel to Belfast for the return leg on July 4.
It is a massive game for both sides but, who are Cliftonville and how big of a test will they pose to Barry Town?
Key Info
Cliftonville Football and Athletic Club is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the oldest club in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland having been founded in September 1879.
Nicknamed “The Reds”, Cliftonville is a semi-professional club who play their football in the NIFL Irish Premiership.
They play their home games at Solitude, the oldest ground in Northern Ireland. The stadium has a capacity of 6,224 but it is currently limited to just over 2,500 due to safety concerns.
Solitude has a synthetic 3G surface rather than grass like in Leckwith which could make things difficult for Barry.
Cliftonville have won the Irish League Premiership five times, most recently in 2014 and can boast eight Irish Cups.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn European Competitions
Cliftonville are no strangers to European competition.
Their first taste of European football was in 1979 when they faced French side Nantes Atlantique in the first round of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. They ended up losing 8-0 on aggregate, conceding seven goals in the away leg.
In the 1998/99 season, Cliftonville entered the first qualifying round of the Champions League.
They played the now-disbanded Slovak club FC Kosice and were handed a humbling 13-1 aggregate defeat over the two legs.
The 2013/14 season saw Cliftonville come up against Celtic in the Champions League Second Qualifying Round in what was arguably the biggest moment in the club’s history.
Although they lost 5-0 on aggregate, the Reds put in two very respectable performances and came out with their heads held high.
Since then, Cliftonville have made it to the Europa League Qualifying Rounds in three out of five seasons.
This season, the club finished fifth in the league which earned them a place in the Europa League playoffs.
They defeated Coleraine 5-3 in the semi final and went on to beat Glentoran 2-0 in the final thanks to two goals in extra time.
Barry Town United will certainly face a stern test and will have to be on the top of their game if they wish to progress past the Irish side.
Manager
Cliftonville are managed by Paddy McLaughlin, a former centre back who spent his career playing for several clubs in the Irish Premiership.
McLaughlin won the NIFL in 2017-18 with Institute and garnered a lot of praise for his attacking style of play.
This made a handful of clubs take notice of the 39-year-old and he took over as Cliftonville manager in February 2019.
Ones to Watch
Embed from Getty ImagesJoe Gormley
Cliftonville’s attacking line is led by striker Joe Gormley. The 29-year-old finished the season on 27 goals, with 20 coming in the NIFL which made him the league’s top goalscorer in 2018/19.
He also scored a goal in each of Cliftonville’s playoff games against Coleraine and Glentoran respectively. Gormley is a clinical finisher and Barry should be wary of his ability in the box.
Embed from Getty ImagesRory Donnelly
Rory Donnelly is another goal threat for the Belfast side. He found the back of the net 15 times in 31 appearances last season, but he also has a Welsh connection.
Swansea City fans may remember Donnelly for his brief stint with the club from 2012 to 2015. Donnelly made two appearances for the Swans, with the second ironically coming in a Europa League playoff game.
The 6 feet 2 striker has spent time on loan at Coventry and Tranmere Rovers before he joined Gillingham in 2015. Donnelly rejoined his first team Cliftonville in 2017.
Embed from Getty ImagesJamie Harney
The Reds also have talent at the base of their team in Jamie Harney. Harney showed a lot of promise at the start of his career as he joined West Ham United in 2012.
He went on to make 17 appearances for the under 17’s in his first season and started eight games for the under 21’s the following season.
Born in Plumbridge, Northern Ireland, the defender has been capped by his country at under 16, 17, 19, 20 and 21 level. He took a year out from football but returned in 2017 when he signed for Cliftonville on a free transfer.
Richard Brush
There’s also a lot experience between the posts for the Belfast side. Richard Brush began his senior career in 2003 with Coventry City.
He has had bad luck though and one wrist injury caused him to miss an entire season which saw his time as a Coventry player end prematurely in 2005.
Brush has played for 11 clubs throughout his career including title-winning spells with Sligo Rovers and Shamrock Rovers. Being English, Brush is the only player in the squad who is not from Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.
Chris Curran
At the spine of Cliftonville’s team is central midfielder Chris Curran. Curran started 44 games for the club last season and finished with 10 assists.
He has been at Cliftonville for six years and has made 206 appearances in that time. Curran was signed by Manchester United as a youngster in 2006 but like so many, he never quite made it.
But United’s scouts clearly saw something in him, and he could provide that extra spark in midfield for Cliftonville.
(Featured Image: Albert Bridge)
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