Seav the day

Barry Gray has called for big performances right across the park when Cliftonville take on Crusaders at Seaview this afternoon.

The Reds saw their recent winning streak ended by Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Linfield and, while acknowledging his players weren’t at their best at Windsor, Gray believes the North Belfast Derby is an opportunity to exorcise a few demons.

“We weren’t that bad against Linfield, but we could have done so much more,” he says.

“I didn’t shout and roar, it’s not going to get us anywhere. My biggest disappointment was we didn’t react when they scored both their goals. We had no response, whereas if we had given it the welly, at least we could say we gave it a go.

“Our big players didn’t turn up at Windsor, which was disappointing. That hat alarmed me and, while they didn’t purposely disappear, they certainly didn’t do enough at times but Tuesday the Crues game is an opportunity to put it right.”

As he prepares for his first visit to the Seaview dugout as Cliftonville boss, Gray says he’ll be looking for a response from the weekend.

“It’s another massive game and our big focus is what reaction we get from the defeat,” he adds.

“We are now in the middle of three massive games – Linfield, Crusaders and Coleraine. Getting out the other end with points is the priority.

“I’m sure if you ask anyone from Cliftonville if they could a win from either Linfield or Crusaders, I’m damn sure I would know which one they would choose. We need to deliver that win now.”

Ticket information
Cassidy’s Bar has now SOLD OUT of tickets, however a small number remain available for sale from the Social Club at Solitude.