CLIFTONVILLE boss Jim Magilton is wary of the potential backlash his side could face when they make the trip to face Dungannon Swifts on Friday evening.
The Reds travel to Stangmore Park (7.45pm kick-off) looking to secure back-to-back league wins for the first time since November after a gutsy home win against Bangor on Tuesday evening. They face a Swifts side that comes into the clash off the back off a sobering 5-0 thumping by Linfield at Windsor Park on Tuesday evening.
But that heavy defeat for the Tyrone men doesn't give Magilton increased confidence for the game – on the contrary.
“Im very wary. Very, very wary,” acknowledged Magilton, knowing the quality of that team and the quality of the manager and his coaching staff. They don’t need an awful lot of motivation when they play Cliftonville.
“If anything, there will be extra motivation because I don’t know how the goals were conceded or how it played out.
"Certainly the players will want to not have a repeat of that, so I expect all guns blazing. We’ve got to match that and come out with a bit more ourselves."
After scoring the winner in the Irish Cup clash at the weekend, Jonny Addis made a vital block in the early stages of their 3-1 win over Bangor on Tuesday evening – one that Magilton felt was game-changing in a display he felt was lax and loose at times.
“It is 100 per cent [a game changing block],” he believes.
“As I say, I thought we were lax at times, we were loose with the ball which offered opportunities. Then, once we settled into the game we were okay but didn’t really have a cutting edge.
“Then Joe does what he does and it’s a fantastic touch, great finish and it settles us down. Then in the second half you’re still waiting to kick on and we didn’t really.
“We have opportunities. It’s a great goal from Micheál after they scored right away, which is always a very important aspect in the game, because it gives them confidence and then when you hit straight back obviously the momentum switches back to us.
“Brian [Healy] scored a great goal, which is really pleasing. Callum McCay comes onto the pitch and gives us energy, Joe [Sheridan] gives us more energy, so from that aspect it's pleasing. On another day you could lose that game."
Magilton also praised Lewis Ridd for some huge contributions and called on his side to improve on elements of their performance despite the win.
“The penalty save was huge in games like this,” he said.
“It’s a really bad decision from Micheál and that can cost you if they go and score. Listen, I’m sitting here delighted that we won the game because it was an important win for us.
“We go into Friday night's game on the back of a win, but there are elements of the game tonight that we have to get rid of very, very quickly if we’re going to go on a run, because on another night Bangor score more goals than they actually did."
As much as Magilton was pleased to see his side return to winning ways, he admits to still feeling frustration at not replicating what he's seeing in training.
“It is absolutely sheer frustration,” Magilton added.
“There’s elements in our training that I see, and if we could replicate that in the game then I think we’d be a really, really good team.
“Kyle McClelland comes in and makes his debut tonight. It’s another shift in the back five if you like.
“In midfield, Adam Carroll worked his socks off. He didn’t get many opportunities but has been absolutely brilliant since he’s been in, I think he can be pleased with his debut. He just needs games and consistency.
“When we’re at our very best, it’s consistency and probably team selection, but it's important people get minutes because this month we're playing eight games and then it’s going to carry into March.
“We need to utilise the squad and show trust and faith in the players and give them the opportunity to go and play.
“Callum McCay has been so patient. He’s dipped in and dipped out, but he has shown real qualities tonight where you can see him emerging in the group as well."
The Reds boss was pleased with the depth of his bench as his side face two games a week until the beginning of March. And he revealed that long-term absentee Luke Conlon isn’t far from returning after playing 65 minutes of a reserve game on Monday evening.
“We have better numbers, definitely,” says Magilton.
“You can’t lose sight of the younger players, because that is really important. Keevo [Keevan Hawthorne] had a little dip and Liam has emerged now, but he had a little dip before that.
“Driving competition is really important, being competitive and players wanting to play is important – even the lads we left out.
“We left Bayo [Adebayo Fapetu] out tonight as well as Luke Conlon coming back. Luke has 65 minutes in the reserves which was really important, and he scored. Competition is really, really important in any squad and it’s important here."
