Cliftonville supersub Joe Gormley has joked he was just one goal away from receiving a late call-up to Ian Baraclough’s Northern Ireland squad.
Gormley bagged a double in Sunday’s thrilling 4-3 win over Coleraine in the BetMcLean League Cup final to help the Reds lift silverware at Windsor Park.
And the 32-year-old striker was inches away from helping himself to a hat-trick, only for his 113th minute header in extra-time to be ruled out for offside.
Gormley, a 61st minute replacement for Daniel Kearns, played his part in a dramatic showpiece which was watched by a record League Cup final attendance of 11,103.
And one interested onlooker was international boss Baraclough who was on Sky punditry duty ahead of naming his squad on Monday for this month's friendlies against Luxembourg and Hungary.
“It was a great header and if that one had gone in, Ian Baraclough might have called me up!” chuckled Gormley as he sipped a can of Rockshore lager in the post match press conference.
“I’m joking. I actually don’t think I was offside to be fair, but I’m just glad to get two goals to help us lift the trophy.”
Coleraine had led 2-0 thanks to Matthew Shevlin’s 20th goal of the season - and his seventh in the competition - and a super strike from the impressive Stephen Lowry.
But Gormley pulled one back with a header in the 74th minute and fellow replacement Paul O’Neill stabbed home in the 91st minute to force extra-time.
After Coleraine lost James McLaughlin to a needless red card in the 91st minute, Cliftonville took full advantage with O’Neill flashing home a third goal soon after.
And Gormley, the Solitude club’s all-time record goal scorer, made it 4-2 with a close range finish before Curtis Allen pulled one back at the death for
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