CLIFTONVILLE boss Jim Magilton is hopeful that he can cast an eye over Linfield ahead of their Windsor Park clash on Sunday afternoon (kick-off 3pm).
The Blues take on Shelbourne at Tolka Park on Thursday evening in the play-off round of the Europa Conference League, hoping to follow in the footsteps of Larne and qualify for the league phase.
They will then entertain a Reds team looking for their first three points of the campaign at the fourth time of asking.
Magilton has been impressed with his side's intensity since their opening day defeat at Bangor and is hoping they can build on another positive showing against Larne on Tuesday evening.
“Hopefully I will get a ticket for Thursday night, and I’ll go and watch them,” he said.
“Every game in the league offers up problems. Every coach, every set off players deserve great credit because they have to earn the right and every game is a tough game.
“We’ve had three games and we’ve played with great intensity in the last two games- especially the second half tonight.
“We just have to address the squad and we look forward to Linfield away on Sunday and the challenges they will present”.
The Reds squad will be further decimated heading to Windsor Park with Micheál Glynn suspended following his red card picked up against the Inver Reds, but Magilton is adamant it will present an opportunity for somebody else.
“It is just part and parcel of being a football manager,” he added.
“It gives someone else an opportunity to come in and play, it is just the nature of the beast. You are heavily reliant on your squad and these lads will stand up and be counted”.
Magilton was delighted with goalkeeper PJ Morrison’s penalty save and attributes during the game and also praised Joe Gormley - whose equaliser got him off the mark for the campaign.
“PJ [Morrison] made a fantastic save, he was very commanding, very assured and played extremely well- as did the rest of the lads and the lads that came off the bench” he recalled.
“Again, we have to manage our group. I thought that we had impetus and we had aggression in the second half, which we didn’t play with in the first half.
“When we play like that and move the ball as quickly as that, we are going to create problems for the opposition.
“Joe took his goal brilliantly”. He was in again, and Joe was touched in the box. If he says that he was fouled, a bit like Saturday - you have to go with it because he is so honest and he wants to score goals.
“That was a disappointing decision, but again- the players showed fantastic resolve and they deserve immense credit for that."
