CLIFTONVILLE manager Paddy McLaughlin has suggested that Glenavon are similar to his Cliftonville side ahead of the teams’ meeting today. 

The Lurgan Blues make the trip to Solitude (3pm kick-off) with confidence after bouncing back from a 4-1 derby defeat to Portadown at the weekend with a 2-1 reversal in the same fixture on Tuesday evening. 

The Reds are also on the look-out for a remedy following last weekend’s defeat to Linfield. 

There has been nothing between the sides in the two corresponding fixtures this season, with both ending in 1-1 draws. 

McLaughlin believes that Gary Hamilton’s men are similar to his own and feels that tired legs and fatigue are beginning to catch up and account for slip-ups in the past week. 

“Glenavon are similar to ourselves,” said McLaughlin after Saturday’s game. 

“They’ve been on a brilliant run and it was ended today – the same as ourselves. 
“It will be a tough game. It’s probably one of those were you look at Crusaders (who lost to Warrenpoint on Saturday) as well - the games have probably caught up with the players. 

“Supporters will be frustrated and angry at any defeat but when you take a look at results, every team is dropping points is probably down to fatigue and running out of legs because you have to remember we’ve played 14 matches since Christmas. 

“It’s unbelievable and you would never think it from part-time players and people have to remember that before criticising them because they’ve been fantastic up until now.”

For the first time since the middle of February, Cliftonville have seven days between fixtures, whilst the others including Glenavon played catch-up in midweek. 

However, the Reds’ boss insists it will be recovery more than preparation and has called on his players to dust themselves down after the defeat to Linfield and try to build another unbeaten sequence. 

“We’ve a week to prepare but it will be more a week to recover,” McLaughlin insists. 

“The games have been thick and fast and the intensity of the games as well. 

“You’re battling right to the very end. There were no games where we could ease off and take people off to rest them. 

“Every game has been high intensity right to the very end and I’m sure the boys will be glad of the break this midweek. It gives them a couple of days rest to recover for another tough game. 

“We’ll go again and dust ourselves down. We were disappointed today but the run the lads have been on, it’s only the second defeat in 13 games. It’s a brilliant run but that’s been ended now and we want to start another one and hopefully that can start this week.” 

The Reds’ boss admits to being disappointed with the manner they conceded the opening goal in at Windsor Park and rued their lack of cutting edge in the final third. 

“It’s disappointing - any defeat’s disappointing,” admits McLaughlin. 

“It was 0-0 at half-time and I felt we were well in the game. Big McCarey made a couple of good saves for us, but you expect that when you come to Windsor. You expect them to have a couple of shots on goal and your ‘keeper’s going to get tested, but I thought our back four dealt with everything really well and our midfield dealt with things really well. 

“Going into the last 10-15 minutes we were well in the game and both sides were even enough. The first goal that they scored, we were disappointed with because I think it was soft. It was an easy cross from out wide and it ended up being a free header from the edge of the six-yard box. 

“In the final third ourselves, we’ve got to do more and threaten more. I think we had a couple of chances after we went 1-0 down but it’s not enough to only threaten the Linfield goal after you go behind. We’ve got to be taking that on earlier in the game and that’s what we’re disappointed with.” 

Garry Breen, pictured in action against Shayne Lavery at the weekend, could be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury picked up in the defeat to Linfield
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Garry Breen, pictured in action against Shayne Lavery at the weekend, could be out for several weeks due to a hamstring injury picked up in the defeat to Linfield

Garry Breen was replaced by Jamie Harney due to a hamstring injury which could keep the centre-half out for a few weeks. 

McLaughlin praised his centre-half pairing of Breen and Ryan O’Reilly and felt they marshalled Shane Lavery well up until the striker broke the deadlock. 

“Breen is an influential player and he pulled up with a hamstring injury just after the goal,” revealed McLaughlin. 

“I thought Ryan O’Reilly was immense and fantastic. He’s probably the best player on the pitch and the one time they freed up Lavery up to that point, he scored. That’s the quality he (Lavery) has and when you play against good players you’ve got to track them throughout the match. 

“I thought our two centre-halves were quite comfortable in the game right throughout. That’s the quality that Linfield and Lavery has: once you switch off for a second he’ll punish you.”