A defensive mindset saw the Solitude club emerge empty handed but they intend to be more ambitious this time

PADDY McLaughlin is adamant his side won’t go to Inver Park with the same approach or frame of mind as their last visit in November, ahead a trip to Larne today (Saturday, 3pm kick-off). 
 
A 96th minute header from Josh Robinson saw Larne get the better a defensive minded Cliftonville team back then, but the fortunes of both teams have changed since. 
 
Larne had begun the season with momentum and were embroiled in an early tussle with Linfield at the top of the table as Cliftonville had hit the rocks. 
 
But only a point separates the sides going into the weekend clash with Cliftonville gaining revenge last month and claiming a narrow 1-0 win in the reverse fixture. 
 
McLaughlin shoulders responsibility for defeat in November and insists he will set his side up to play to their strengths this time around.  
 
“The last time we went down there I don’t think we were on a good run of form and I don’t think confidence was as high as it is now at the minute,” McLaughlin recalls. 
 
“We almost set-up to stop Larne from playing and that was probably my fault, I take responsibility for that. The players only carry out instructions. 
 
“We went down there to try and stop Larne from playing and we were beaten in the 96th minute. It almost worked but almost isn’t enough. If you go down there and lose the game, you lose the game and that’s it. 
 
“It was my call to go down there and stop Larne from playing so we’ll not go down there with that frame of mind and we won’t go anywhere with that frame of mind ever again. 
 
“I was taught a lesson that day that you’ve got to trust these players to go and play against anybody and trust their ability. If you go to Larne and you give it your best and play to your strengths, which is getting the ball down and playing, and if it doesn’t work then so be it. 
 
“But don’t put the shackles on Ryan Curran and Daniel Kearns. You let them go and play and let them go and attack. 
 
“Larne is a top side and they will probably be frustrated with the last few weeks and months, but they will be on a high after winning today (Saturday) - the same as ourselves. It sets it up for a good game with two good footballing sides. 
 
“Their levels are top quality. It will be a good game but we’ll not go down there in the same frame of mind as the last time. We’ll go down there to attack and play to our own strengths.” 

McLaughlin’s side chalked up their seventh victory since the turn of the year and bounced back from defeat at Linfield the previous weekend with a 2-1 win over Glenavon last week. But he was unhappy that Glenavon’s goal stood with Peter Campbell standing on the goal line to head home. 
 
The Reds’ boss felt Campbell was in a clear offside position and says it could have proved a costly error in the end. 
 
“He is on the goal-line and if he’s not offside on the goal-line then where else can he stand?” McLaughlin argues. 
 
“If the referee is telling me he’s not offside standing on the goal-line then we have to accept that as a decision. He said he’s quite clear that he wasn’t - I don’t know offside anymore. 
 
“I thought if you’re standing on the goal-line then there’s no further higher you can be. I’m disappointed that it was let go because it could have changed and game and it could have cost us. 
 
“But it’s another big decision that has gone against us. If we watch it back and it proves to be the case that there is somebody standing on the goal-line along with him then fair enough. The linesman told us there four men playing him onside, four men between him and the goal-line and he was standing on the goal-line, so work that out.”
 
McLaughlin was also keen to jump to the defence of his back four amidst criticism of sitting back too deep in games and felt his defence did a great job at the weekend. 

“One thing that I’ve noticed in my time here is that people are very critical of the team, which is something we have to live with I suppose,” he concedes. 
 
“You couldn’t fault those players in any way at all. Since the turn of the year they have been fantastic with two defeats in 14 matches – it’s some run and some record.
 
“In terms of today and what happened in the match, sometimes there is nothing you can do. If Glenavon get every second ball and put it back in the box, what are you going to tell your back four - just to run past the ball? 
 
“They can only take their position off where the ball is and the Glenavon more often than not they were recycling it, putting it back in the box, putting it wide and putting it back in the box and they were good at it and they’ve got quality at it. You would encourage it yourself if you’d that quality of delivery. 
 
“Conor McCloskey last month was the best player in the league and player of the month. When you’ve got that kind of player in your locker and got him in your wide area then you know you’re going to get top quality from him every time.
 
“There’s not really much you can do when you’re playing against that kind of style or than kind of talent. 
 
“I thought the back line defended really well, they defended McCarey superbly. We’re disappointed we conceded because we pride ourselves in clean sheets. But in terms of positional sense and in terms of defending, I don’t really listen to the criticism because the boys were superb.” 

Paddy McLaughlin has praised goalkeeper Aaron McCarey for a string of top performances since arriving at Solitude
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Paddy McLaughlin has praised goalkeeper Aaron McCarey for a string of top performances since arriving at Solitude

Aaron McCarey produced a man-of-the-match display and made a crucial intervention to deny the Lurgan Blues a share of the spoils and came in for special praise from his manager who also acknowledged the sacrifices he has made to drop from full-time football at Dundalk to part-time at Solitude. 
 
“I’m absolutely delighted,” revealed McLaughlin. 
 
“He’s come here with a big reputation. We knew that and I knew that from playing against him and watching him for Dundalk. He’s got the potential to be one of the best ’keepers in the division and he showed that today and signs that it could well be. 
 
“Sometimes ’keepers dominate their six-yard box but McCarey dominated his eighteen today and that’s very strange. Very rarely you’ll see that he dominated his whole box and I thought he was superb. 
 
“It wasn’t just saving shots: it was coming for crosses, organising his back four, barking out his orders and making sure that people did their job. His all-round game today was top drawer and that’s why we brought him here.
 
“You need that reassurance in your ’keeper. A good ’keeper can play behind any back four and that’s what we’re dealing with at the minute due to injuries and suspensions. It’s been a crazy year for everybody, but no more so than ourselves with some of the injury records that we have has been horrendous. 
 
“He’s never really had a settled back four playing in front of him, but performances like that and leadership skills like that, big Decky O’Hara could probably almost get a game in front of him. 
 
“He has been top-class for us and fair play to him because he was coming from full-time football with Dundalk and he’s making a couple of personal sacrifices to travel to play part-time with us. He’s been full value today, I thought he was superb.”