CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton insists his side must produce more than they did in their weekend defeat to Glenavon when they entertain Glentoran on Friday evening. 

The Glens make the trip to Solitude (7.45pm kick-off, live on BBC iPlayer) in fine form in what a dress rehearsal for next month’s Bet McLean Cup Final. 

Magilton has warned his players that a similar performance to defeat at Mourneview Park will result in a similar outcome and has called for them to stand up and be counted. 

“We have to be better, it’s a simple as that” he insists.  

“If we turn up and play like (we did at the weekend) we’ll lose the game - there is no question about that. So, we have to stand up and be counted.”

Coming into the game off the back of a busy schedule this month, Magilton wasn’t using the changes to the squad as an excuse for their latest defeat and felt there was lack of intensity throughout. 

“That comes down to an individual,” he said. 

“When you are presented with a chance you’ve got to take it, and that’s  how difficult it is at any level of football. 

“At this level of football, we made changes because we felt we needed to freshen things up, given our workload and given our games. 

“That’s not an excuse; players want to play games – they don’t want to train. I hated training in comparison to games so there was no excuses at the weekend. 

“We felt that we could do better and we didn’t and that was credit to Glenavon for how they approached the game, and our lack of intensity to match that.”

Injury to Ryan Curran in the build up to the opener meant the visitors were down to 10 men when the deadlock was broken and whilst Magilton acknowledged it upset their flow, he rued opportunities missed either side of the opener. 

“It can upset your flow. I thought then when were playing better,” Magilton recalled. 

“I didn’t think we were playing well, but we were certainly playing better.

“He [Ryan Curran] is focal point for us and lots of things were happening around him. 

“Alex [Parsons] had a great opportunity from Ryan and the goalkeeper has had a little mishap with the pitch and you fancy him to score, then you fancy him to score again and it is a different game. 

“You can’t take anything away from Glenavon. I thought they were excellent and they punished us and deserved to win the game.”

Magilton isn’t sure whether Curran will be able to recover from the broken nose he sustained ahead of Friday’s game. 

“It only stopped bleeding at the end of the game,” he revealed. 

“He’s a handsome bugger, so that might be things that might change depending on what happens to this nose of his. 

“He had to come off, we had no choice and he was a big loss for us. In regards to Friday, we didn’t know at this stage.”

The Reds’ boss was pleased with Stephen McGuinness’s late consolation strike and the positioning of his full-back and also backed January recruit Alex Parsons to provide a creative spark that has been missing this campaign. 

“He’s [Stephen McGuinness] prolific now and that’s a position we like to see our full backs in,” Magilton added. 

“I think he can certainly do. He certainly has a quality left foot and it was too little too late.  

“From Wednesday to the weekend, it’s all been a great insight to Irish League football for Alex.  

“There were real moments of quality and he is going to have that and provide that. 

“We need that creative spark in our team too. There is a lot of onus on other players but Alex will provide that spark that we need.”