CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton acknowledges that Dungannon Swifts is one of the trickiest teams to visit in the league.

The Reds make the trip to Stangmore Park on Saturday (3pm kick-off), looking to make it four league wins on the spin against Rodney McAree’s high-flying Swifts who were above Magilton’s side in the table until the weekend when they suffered a 4-1 away defeat to Coleraine.

They did bounce back from their set-back with a 3-1 comeback win over Dollingstown to progress to the quarter-final of the Bet McLean Cup on Tuesday evening, whilst Ryan Corrigan’s 90th minute goal saw Cliftonville make it four wins in all competitions at the expense of Championship leaders Bangor in the Bangor Fuels Arena.

Magilton stressed the importance of his side adapting the right mentality, attitude and approach if they are to claim their second win in the Tyrone venue in the last four attempts.

“Dungannon has always provided a tricky venue and we’re very aware,” he acknowledged.

“I thought they were outstanding at Solitude earlier on in the season and we managed to get a result. They are a difficult opponent because they are outstanding at home, and we have to be obviously very aware of their strengths and try and expose weaknesses as they will be doing to us.

“Again, it is the mentality, the attitude and the approach to the game which will be very important.”

Magilton is delighted with his side’s improved mindset of late in their recent resurgence and feels his new additions are beginning to settle into life at Solitude.

“We talked before the game against Crusaders for the need for the same sort of mindset and that real focus on passing the ball in the way we did, and creating the opportunities in the way we did, so that was the pleasing aspect,” he felt.

“It’s always difficult in all my years of going in at half time and using different techniques: do you praise them, do you get after them, or do you just continue? It was mixture of everything.

“We were guilty of missing opportunities. We were also guilty of giving opportunities through a little bit of carelessness, but it’s all steppingstones. The lads that have come in are bedding in now and you can see that they are making huge strides. We build on this; it is a fantastic three points.”

He also admits that on the back of their poor patch that ran into October, he wanted his players to consider the club’s identity and who it represents, believing that reinforcing the positives was crucial.

“There was a real deep of thought about who we are, our identity and what and who we represent – all of the things that are important,” he insisted.

“It’s a belief from the staff and the players. Overnight, it just doesn’t turn where you turn from a really good player to a really bad player, it just doesn’t happen. It’s just through courage, confidence, and self-belief that you have to keep reinforcing those points.

“Nights like Friday where for 60-70 minutes we were so good and created so many opportunities against, in my opinion, was a top-class attacking side and then show the character that we showed to keep the ball out of our net was brilliant.”

Magilton believes it was always going to take time for captain Rory Hale to return to his best off the back of a three-month layoff.

However, he insists he won’t let injuries become an excuse for bad results seeing it as an opportunity for others to stake a place in the team.

“He’s getting fit playing games and that is always difficult,” he noted.

“It’s easier when you’re free-flowing and you’re winning games if you’re not you are still fighting to get there.

“His character, resilience, and determination to get results is self-evident. He looks fitter, even though he was exhausted at the end. It’s the same for a lot of them, we don’t cry about injuries because it gives opportunities to others. The others have to step up to the mark.

“I’m never going to cry over who is injured and who is not. It’s down to the squad to come in and do well and if they do well, they stay in the team.”