CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton believes that their Bet McLean Cup victory over Coagh United was an important statement as they bid to return to winning ways in the league.
The Reds haven’t played a league encounter in October with their clash with Glentoran postponed due to Storm Amy at the beginning of the month and their North Belfast derby trip to Seaview shelved due to International call-ups.
They return to action at the weekend when they host Larne at Solitude (3pm kick-off). The Inver Reds sat out their weekend clash with Linfield due to International call-ups and will be hoping to bounce back from their first league reversal at the hands of Dungannon Swifts.
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Magilton is hopeful that their hard work on the training pitch will bear fruition and has called on his players to bring their performances from training into games.
“Last Tuesday night was an important statement for us as a group,” Magilton acknowledged. “We’ve worked extremely hard, we had to work extremely hard in training. Since we’ve been in, we’ve always talked about train as you play, play as you train – that is the mantra in the dressing room.
“That is the expectation from all the staff and standards they’ve set. We’ve been nowhere near the standards of how we’re training because we’ve not brought our training into the games."
Magilton aired his frustration over the campaign so far, believing his side are playing below par for his liking.
“As a manager, it is frustration for me because I know they are miles better than what they are producing at the minute. We’ll have a few very, very strong training days before Larne on Saturday”.
The Reds boss admits that having no game at the weekend was a blow but insists that's why he went as strong as possible in their last outing.
“Trying to arrange a game was a blow because everyone is away or doing whatever they have to do. The Coagh game was really important – that’s why we went very strong. We left one or two out who were just nursing one or two things.
“Right from the onset, even if we were playing on Friday night, this game was really, really important and we were always going to go top heavy.”
Outside of long-term injuries to Luke Conlon, Rhyss Campbell and Darien Wauchope, Ryan Corrigan is the only other absentee with Magilton unsure of a time frame for the young attacker returning.
“Ryan is still nursing, something is going on with his knee,” Magilton outlined. “He came back and then he had to sit out again, he is the only one now. We have managed the group particularly well. We’ve got strong training nights and a lot of strong training nights ahead of us. We have to get a grip of where we are in the league, we can’t shy away from that."
He added: “The last two performances in the league were really poor. We know that and we acknowledge that. The only way you’re going to get over that is working hard on the training ground and then try and get results.”
The Reds will face Larne on Saturday afternoon at Solitude, with kick-off set for 3pm.
