If it wasn’t the weirdest penalty shoot-out I’d ever seen, it certainly was the most confusing, leaving many departing Solitude, still trying to piece together what had just transpired.
Routinely Ryan Curran, also a scorer from the spot during the game, and Chris Shields scored the first two kicks for their respective sides.
Up stepped Curran’s brother Chris, who also despatched into the net. 2-1 Cliftonville, or so we thought. Significantly there was immediate reaction from several Linfield players positioned on the half-way line. Something appeared to be not quite right, something for the most part undetectable from the Bowling Green End of the stadium.