CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton is hoping his side can replicate one of their best away performances of last season as they return from their 10-day break.

After sitting out the weekend’s fixtures due to international commitments, the Reds make the trip to Lakeview Park to take on Loughgall (3pm kick-off).

Magilton’s side were held to a 1-1 draw at Solitude but defeated the Villagers 4-1 before Christmas and he is hoping for a similar outcome in their visit to the Orchard County this weekend.

“Of course, they are going to make things difficult,” he said.

“We played extremely well down there in our 4-1-win last season.

“I felt it was one of our best performances away from home and we’ve got to get back to that.

“It’s about hard work, grafting and getting back to basics and relishing the hard work because that’s what it’s going to take.”

The Reds come into the game off the back their first league defeat of the season to Glentoran, but they did defeat Ards via a shoot-out in the County Antrim Shield and Magilton acknowledged that they have hard work ahead in order for performances to improve.

“It’s a huge relief, of course of it is,” he reflected.

“You want to be in the next round, and we are, at least it’s one better than last year. They [Ards] missed opportunities to win it and David’s made a couple of good saves.

“Listen, cup games can throw that up and we’ve a lot of hard work to do. We recognise that, we’ve got lads in now and there will be no further changes until January. It’s all down to hard graft, get back to basics and work our socks off.”

Magilton admits that he probably would have preferred their weekend game to have gone ahead, but can also see the benefits in their new recruits having time to settle into the club.

“I would like to have had the game in honesty,” he admitted. “There is an argument for both, it gives us an opportunity to get these lads settled.

“It’s important that we get them embedded into the club and really show them what we are all about as well.

“We know we’ve got good players here. It’s about getting back into that mindset of our own identity and that is really important.”

On the injury front, Magilton feels that long-term absentee’s Odhran Casey and Rory Hale are making progress every day, but insists they are still a bit of time from returning to first team action.

“They are closer, but not close enough,” he revealed.

“They are closer every day that passes they are getting better but still a wee bit off a return as of yet.”