CLIFTONVILLE boss Paddy McLaughlin believes that Carrick Rangers will come to Solitude for this evening's League Cup tie with confidence this evening following their bright start to the season. 

Stuart King’s side make the trip to North Belfast (7.45pm kick-off) hoping to continue their positive start to the campaign that has seen them pick up wins against Linfield and at the weekend against Crusaders. 

McLaughlin is full of praise for the job that his opposite number has done and believes they will arrive at Solitude full of confidence. 

“They’ve been excellent and they’ve got off to a brilliant start,” acknowledges McLaughlin. 

“I’m sure that Stuarty and the boys will be confident in their own form at the minute. Coming here, they’ll be ready for it as much as we will. They’ve been in brilliant form this season and you’ve to give them credit. 

“They’ll bring what they bring, they’re full of energy, they’re well organised and hard to break down. 

“They have him on the sideline who’s definitely good at motivating people anyway and distracting the opposition. He’s done a brilliant job this year and you’ve to give him credit for it. 

“They’re one of the form sides in the league as well so it is a good game for us to look forward to. We’re on a good run as well as Carrick, the good thing about it is that we’re home at Solitude with the fans. They were out on their numbers at the weekend and I’m sure they’ll be here on Tuesday night. 

“We need them in every game, especially at home, because we don’t want teams looking forward to coming here and playing on a nice surface. We want this place to be as intimidating as possible because our boys thrive off that and the opposition don’t like it. it’s important that they play their part, which they always do.”

The Reds go into the game off the back of eight domestic wins on the spin following a 4-0 win over Newry that saw them climb to top spot at the weekend. 

Rory Hale bagged a first-half hat-trick on his first league appearance since suffering an ankle knock that kept him out for longer than expected as McLaughlin explained. 

“It was a cut that should have been a week or ten days maximum,” McLaughlin recalled. 

“It was four or five stitches that he got but then it got infected and that was just down to bad luck and there was nothing that anybody could have done about that. It extended the injury for a couple of weeks. 

“He’s done well and recovered from it well and he’s back firing again, as long as we keep him fit and as long as we keep all our players fit we’re a real force.

“I think outside of Levi who’ll be back at Christmas time and Stephen Mallon will hopefully be back soon enough, it’s a good time to have everybody available because we’re going into a key stage of the season now over the next few weeks.”

McLaughlin was pleased to see his side hit the top spot at the weekend but insists that there will be plenty of ups and downs ahead this season and he won’t read too much into their position at this stage. 

“We’re doing something right whenever we’re looking at some of the squads and some of the teams around us,” he admits. 

“I know it is a bit earlier to be looking at the league table and we’re not really interested, but it’s nice to be sitting there for now and it gives the supporters the bragging rights of the division for now, but there will be a lot of ups and downs as the season moves on. 

“We’re just delighted that our form at the minute has been excellent, I think that’s six wins a row in the league and two cup games - eight wins on the spin in domestic football - so it’s a real good run. But like I say, we’re going into a key stage of the season now with a lot of tough fixtures. 

“If we can come through that and we’re still up around there at the end, we’ll admit we’re on a brilliant run of form but at the minute we’re quietly happy without shouting too much out loud. 

“We’re quietly happy with how things are going, we are getting stronger, and we are getting players back on the pitch so it’s good times at the minute.”