CLIFTONVILLE boss Jim Magilton is hoping his side can take the character from their last two games and turn it into victories starting this evening when they take on Glentoran in the quarter-final of the Toals County Antrim Shield.
The Glens make the trip to Solitude (7.45 kick-off), hoping to continue on their positive form since Pat McCourt and Tim McCann took temporary charge after the departure of Declan Devine.
For Magilton, who turned down advances from the East Belfast side early after Devine's departure, he is hoping his side can stop the rot of five successive defeats and get back to winning ways.
“We don’t like losses, we haven’t suffered this sort of run since I’ve been in,” Magilton reflected.
“Again, as I said – character at this time reveals itself. Today we showed real character, and guts and resilience – which you have to do, especially when you come here. These are the league leaders and a good side. I thought we competed so well today”.
The Reds manager felt his side lacked composure in critical moments in their weekend defeat to Coleraine, but urged by his players to knuckle down and come out all guns blazing this evening.
“We'd had one or two other good moments, just a little bit of composure,” he acknowledged.
“There is going to be slight hesitancy when you’re not winning games, but I’ve said to the players, we’ve got to knuckle down now, we’ve got to focus now on Tuesday night and come out all guns blazing."
Magilton insists that points rather than plaudits is his immediate concern, though is pleased that he has seen the players roll their sleeves up and show character.
“At this stage it is points, that is all that matters,” he insists.
“The players deserve credit too, because they’ve come up here and rolled up their sleeves, they’ve shown us and shown our supporters that wearing that shirt is important to them, very important to them.
“They presented themselves and that is very important character when it shows itself and presents itself in difficult times”.
