United effort

Barry Gray wants Cliftonville to build on their midweek victory over Banbridge Town when they resume Danske Bank Premiership rivalries with Ballymena United tomorrow.

The Reds made comfortable League Cup progress by overcoming their Premier Intermediate League opponents on Tuesday and, while naturally expecting a sterner challenge at The Showgrounds, Gray will be looking for his players to start generating some momentum.

“The Banbridge game sends us into Saturday on a wee bit of a positive note,” he explains. “It gets a wee bit of pressure off the boys’ backs.

“Ballymena will be very similar to what we encountered last Saturday against Crusaders in their style of play. Both teams will be very hungry for a win and the players are very firmly aware of what is required from them. I think it’s probably the first time this season that we have a clear picture of what we need to do.”