CLIFTONVILLE manager Jim Magilton is expecting Glenavon to click into gear soon, but is hopeful it won’t be this weekend.

The Lurgan Blues make the trip to Solitude on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off) in a fixture between two sides that are desperate to pick up their first win of the campaign at the fifth time of asking.

Paddy McLaughlin’s side have suffered four successive defeats, their most recent at the weekend when an injury time Matthew Shevlin goal saw Coleraine snatch a late win.

Reds boss Magilton believes that there will be desperation from both sides to end their winless run and wants his team to show that bit more.

“Every game provides unbelievable challenges to you and Glenavon played well at the weekend and were unlucky not to come away with something” he said. “That comes down to the quality of the opposition too. We are very conscious that things will click for Glenavon and we are very aware that there will be hopefully an intensity in the game.

“Both teams are desperate for the first win, we have to show more desperation and more quality in our play than they do in their play – it always comes down to that.

“We’re well aware of the strengths that Glenavon will pose and we have to try and exploit the weaknesses in their team, whatever they may be."

Magilton will be hoping to see improvement in the final third, following their weekend defeat to Linfield and believes his side lacked intensity and quality on their trip to Windsor.

“It was a really disappointing performance from us, in terms of quality in the final third,” Magilton reflected.

“For me, it lacked intensity and lacked quality. We didn’t give our front players enough service, and again. I just thought that we let the game pass us by, instead of grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. We needed someone that was going to do that, and we didn't.

“We tried to make changes to enable us to do that. I felt that after the way we finished the game against Larne, we would take that tempo and intensity into Sunday and we didn’t and that was so disappointing for us.

DISAPPOINTMENT: The Reds suffered yet another set back with a 1-0 defeat to Linfield last weekend
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DISAPPOINTMENT: The Reds suffered yet another set back with a 1-0 defeat to Linfield last weekend

“We always set up not to give away cheap goals, I thought it was a cheap goal. I know it was a deflection, but I just thought it was cheap. Had it ended 0-0 it may have been a different story, but we lost the game.

“That is two losses and two draws and we have to finish off this month against Glenavon. They will come fighting and scrapping because they haven't won a game. We have to be aware of that and then try and come out and play. I just don’t think we have hit the ground at all. I think we have had real good moments, but on Sunday, not many”.

The Reds boss has backed himself and assistant manager Gerard Lyttle to improve their summer recruits and feels that the players within the changing room can also play their part.

“We always work with what we’ve got, there are never any complaints about that,” Magilton insisted.

“The lads that we brought in will get better, we’re certain of that. Gerard [Lyttle] and I will make them better there is no question, and the players within the dressing room will make them better.

“Bayo [Adebayo Fapetu] is a good player and Darien Wauchope is going to be a good player and the temptation was to chuck him into a game like this, but he’d only trained on the Saturday. As brave as I am at times, I just thought no”.