NIFL Premiership: Cliftonville v Crusaders
(Solitude, Friday, 7.45pm, Live on BBC iPlayer)

NORTH Belfast bragging rights and three vital league points are on the line at Solitude on Friday as Cliftonville host Crusaders in the second North Belfast derby of the season.
The first meeting between the clubs early in the season ended in a 1-1 draw.

Ryan Curran had given The Reds the lead from the penalty spot with Kieran Offord levelling in the second period and they meet again at a point of the season where recent results have turned their way.

Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton has called on his players to deliver the qualities that saw them get back to winning ways ahead of the game as they look to chalk up a third straight league win after going over a month without.

Magilton believes his side have proved they are capable of matching the best in the league and wants them to put a run together, continuing on Friday evening.

“The games are coming thick and fast,” he remarked.

“We’ve proved that we can match the best in the league. It is getting a run together now - that’s what it’s all about.

“If you come to me in 10 games’ time and we haven’t lost a game, then I will be in a happier place.

“Saturday was good; we showed courage, we showed commitment and determination to get a result- all the words that we need, and we worked our socks off- which is equally as important.”

The Reds’ boss revealed that his half-time message in Saturdays late comeback win against Linfield was to improve on a very positive first half showing despite trailing and felt momentum in the aftermath of their leveller.

“The message was get better,” Magilton revealed.

“They’ve got too many good players and if you give them a moment, they are going to hurt you.

“Take the goal for example: we had five or six set pieces in a row, and they go and have one with their quality and they score from it.

“In a split second the game can change, but it was reinforcing the positives and to be better as an individual and a team.

“Once we scored, I just felt the momentum with was us and that was important.”
Magilton heaped praise on assistant manager Gerard Lyttle for the calls to bring on the trio of players that helped turn the game.

“Gerard Lyttle will take all the credit and he has just told me to remind you guys it was Gerard Lyttle,” he joked.

“He was in my ear constantly - we do this, and we do that. That’s what he is really, really good at. He gets a sense of that, and he was spot on, and he deserves a lot of credit for that.

“When you are watching the game, sometimes you get lulled into watching the game.

When they come on, they have to make an immediate impact- and they did.

“Ryan is real quality, Rory is real quality and we’ve got a young star in Ryan Corrigan, so we’re delighted.”

The message from Magilton is the feel-good feeling must be parked and he has urged his team to kick on in the coming weeks.

“The blueprint is there, but it is conference and belief,” he insists.

“We’re all very similar in that if you are going through a difficult period where you’re not winning games, suddenly you start doubting yourself.

“As a staff, we just reinforce that we think you're good players, but you’ve got to go and prove that.

“We’re delighted with today’s performance but that’s parked and now we go again.”

Crusaders sit a point and two places behind their North Belfast neighbours but have a game in hand and returned to winning ways with a victory against Ballymena United at the weekend.

On-loan St Mirren attacker Kieran Offord continued his fine scoring spree since his summer move with the winner at Seaview and boss Declan Caddell was delighted that his side appear to have regrouped after a three-game losing streak last month.

“We went through that blip of losing three games in a row and, as a manager, you’re always looking for a response,” Caddell acknowledged.

“You always want your players to turn up and give you more. We were well aware they were going to come like that today.

“I thought they were good in certain parts, as were we, but today was a massive three points.

“I think Kieran’s finish was a moment of magic. The play to get us in there happened maybe three or four times before we actually got the goal. It’s all about tempo in that final third.

“I want my players to keep the ball, move the ball and keep possession, but there comes a point in a game and in certain areas of the pitch where that has to increase. We didn’t do that enough in the first-half but in the second-half, we did.”