McCRUDDEN AT THE DOUBLE FOR REDS
Michael McCrudden bagged another two goals as Cliftonville hit three without reply past Dungannon Swifts at Solitude.
Both sides might have moved in front with around a quarter-of-an-hour on the clock. A Rory Hale effort took a deflection off Callum Byers to fall for McCrudden but he sliced his effort wide while, for the Swifts, Shane McGinty produced a superb diving save from Reds keeper Aaron McCarey.
The chances continued with James Convie firing straight at McCarey from a good position and Rhyss Campbell then dragging an effort just wide. Play then switched to the other end from Jamie Harney to turn a header from a corner against the crossbar.
But the deadlock was broken on 33 minutes. McCrudden, fresh from his hat-trick on Saturday, connected with Daire O'Connor's left-sided cross to head the opening goal past Roy Carroll.
Ryan O'Reilly made it 2-0 to the Reds seven minutes into the second half. Again O'Connor provided the decisive ball, playing it across the face of goal for O'Reilly to poke home at the back post.
Byers might have pulled one back for the Swifts moment later when he got on the end of a McGinty cross but he could only head over with McCarey scrambling back.
However, McCrudden put the game beyond doubt just after the hour when he ran onto Aaron Donnelly's long ball forward to lift his second of the evening over the advancing Carroll.
Cliftonville: McCarey, O'Reilly, Harney, C. Curran, O'Connor, R. Curran, McCrudden, Donnelly, Bagnall, Hale, Lowe subs D. Breen (not used), G. Breen (replaced Harney 76), Casey (not used), O'Brien (replaced O'Connor 85), Kearns (not used), Teggart (not used), Coffey (replaced Bagnall 78)
Dungannon Swifts: Carroll, Byers, O. Smyth, Campbell, Gallagher, Carvill, S. McGinty, Convie, Glenny, McGee, M. Smyth subs Coyle (not used), Byrne (not used), Patton (replaced Glenny 60), C. McGinty (not used), Mayse (replaced S. McGinty 60), O'Kane (replaced Gallagher 76), Ferson (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
