CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton believes that Carrick Rangers possess a team full of quality and experienced players which can make the Reds away trip a tough task ahead of the weekend's clash.
The Reds make the trip to Taylors Avenue to take on the Amber Army in their first meeting since the Gers defeated Magilton’s men in January to clinch the Toals County Antrim Shield.
Magilton acknowledges that Stephen Baxter's side are full of quality and a tough task lies ahead, but is confident that his players are capable of scoring goals and good enough to leave with three points.
“100 percent they are good players, quality players and experienced players,” Magilton believes.
“They are players that know the league, with real quality in their side. It is a tough ask, but you’ve got to go there.
“The one thing they ask and test your fortitude. They test all your resilience, and you’ve got to go and compete and you have to be able to deal with their quality.
“If you can do that and with the quality that we have, I always fancy us to score a goal and it’s going to be important this weekend.
Magilton will be hopeful that Brian Healy can build on his brace of goals at the weekend against Portadown, and felt his side could have been more ruthless in their victory.
“He had to work for them, both goals actually” he recalled. “The first was a great pass from McMaster, he showed great strength, great composure, great goal and the second one was the same thing, a fantastic finish.
“Then again Ben Quinn scoring another good goal. Had we been a little more clinical and ruthless we could have scored more, but you have to give credit to Portadown.
“If you lose games then you’re going to have to come here, and the one thing you have to show is resilience and a bit of fight and I thought they did that."
The Reds boss praised the attitude and appetite of his squad players and insisted they will get plenty of game time throughout the season.
“That has been the case in training, they’ve played with real appetite – the lads that haven’t been getting the minutes have shown a real fantastic attitude,” he revealed.
“As we’ve always said, they’re going to get games. The squad we carry, and they’re going to get minutes and they are going to be fantastic assets to us and at some stage they are going to get more minutes. They’ve just got to be ready for it.
“The appetite in the squad is strong and the desire to go out and win games is strong. Today was again a bounce back to get back to winning ways in the league."
Goalkeeper PJ Morrison also came in for special praise from his manager, after he passed a late fitness test to take his place in goal and he proved his worth with a stunning save late in the first half to deny Eamon Fyfe from pulling a goal back.
“It was a magnificent save,” Magilton reflected. “He [PJ] had a late fitness test and showed great courage today. If anyone that has ever suffered a rib injury will surely testify, it is pretty sore.
“He had to be ready for the game, and he wanted to play and showed great determination and it was a magnificent save, I have to say”.
