CLIFTONVILLE manager Paddy McLaughlin is hoping their weekend break will give them a freshness as they met Warrenpoint Town at Solitude this evening (7.45pm kick-off). 

Friday evening's postponement gave the Reds the chance to rest up with bottom of the table Warrenpoint also seeing their game with Coleraine fall by the wayside due to the effects of the weekend storms. 

McLaughlin insists his side is itching to return to action but isn’t expecting an easy game against Barry Gray’s charges. 

“There are no easy games in the Irish League and proves itself every week,” McLaughlin acknowledged. 

“It will be tough enough, our home form has been excellent, so we look forward to it because we are home on our home surface. It will be a tough game, but we’re looking forward to it. 

“The boys will be fresh with having no game at the weekend and on the back of a couple of good performances and good results recently. They’re itching to get back on the pitch again and play. 

“They were disappointed the game was pulled on Friday because they’d prepared well for it all week and were looking forward to it. 

“That’s football at times, it doesn’t always go the way you planned. We went into it in good form and like I said we prepared well for it. We carry that preparation and planning into Tuesday night instead and obviously, we will be fresh from having no game at the weekend.”

Glentoran’s defeat on Friday evening means that the Reds could move to within a point of top spot with victory this evening, although McLaughlin isn’t thinking ahead and is adamant that his side are clinging to the coattails of the top-two. 

“We’ve the game in hand on them, but you’d rather have the points in the bag than the game in hand,” admits McLaughlin.  

“I don’t think it really changes anything for us, we’re still in the position we were in before the game started. We’re chasing Linfield and Glentoran and that should be the focus on the top-two on who is challenging for the league. 

“The rest of us are just clinging onto their coat-tails - we don’t mind that. We’ve been the underdog all year and we don’t mind carrying that through to the end of the season and see where it takes us. 

“There is a long way to go and there are plenty of points to be won and lost for all the sides. There is no point in getting too excited or too down no matter what happens over the next couple of weeks.”

The Reds boast the best home form in the league this season and with back-to-back homes game this week, McLaughlin is hoping their record will stay intact. 

“Our home form has been excellent; I think we’ve picked up more points than anybody else at home,” he added. 

“It’s a good record to have and it’s one we want to try and keep a hold of throughout the season. The fans have obviously played a massive part in that as well and also the surface and the way we’ve played. 

“You can’t underestimate the fans and what they’ve done for the players: they’ve been brilliant at home and came out in their numbers, especially in the most recent games they’ve come out and almost filled the ground. 

“Hopefully that continues because we need them behind us to push the players on and it definitely makes Solitude a very intimidating place for opposition. 

“Everybody is playing their part and we all hope to continue to do that: the players, staff and supporters have all played their part in this year and they’ve been brilliant all together working as a group.”