Boss targets higher Grades

John McGrady says there will be no complacency in the second half of Cliftonville Ladies’ season and believes their defeat in last week’s League Cup Final will only serve to renew hunger levels within the squad.

The mid-campaign break afforded by the Women’s European Championships comes with the Reds boasting a perfect record in the Danske Bank Women’s Premiership; their seven wins from as many outings opening up a five-point lead over defending Champions Glentoran.

McGrady, however, insists he and his coaching staff will be driving the team to be even better when the action resumes on August 10.

“Having got to the halfway point of the season, there is still a huge amount we want to work on,” he says.

“It’s been a strange season as we haven’t been afforded the opportunity to really work on certain things with training being so fragmented due to the Euros squad. However, if someone had said at this point we would be in the position we are in, we would have snapped your hand off.

“That said, we know it’s just the halfway point and all the hard work is still in front of us, this break in the League gives us a chance to regroup and go over some of the key issues that have been identified during the first part of the season. We have played some decent football at times and we want to build on that. We have always taken one game at a time and that’s how it will continue.”

Cliftonville had hoped the sign off for the break with a trophy in the cabinet but, bereft of their international stars, suffered an extra-time defeat to Sion Swifts Ladies in last Wednesday night’s decider – an experience that McGrady nevertheless believes can stand the Reds’ young guns in good stead.

“Losing was a tough one to take but it’s part of football and a part that we all go through at times,” he explains.

“Winning any trophy anywhere is always an achievement and that’s why it’s so hard to do. However, we are extremely proud of the young players that are around the fringes of our squad and how they worked over the Cup games.

“These games will have been a massive part of their development and now is the time for positive minds, dusting ourselves down and going again. This will hopefully make not just the young players but all our players hungrier to lift some silverware this season.”

With Cliftonville’s campaign paused, the six players – Abbie Magee, Louise McDaniel, Marissa Callaghan, Kelsie Burrows, Kirsty McGuinness and her sister Caitlin – on duty at Euro 2022 can, says McGrady, expect significant support from Solitude as Northern Ireland Women prepare for their debut on the international tournament stage.

“We’re massively proud, I think not just the management but the other players are very proud of them too,” he adds.

“We know that they go there representing us and the Club and know they will do so in a manner that makes everyone proud. They have worked extremely hard to get there, especially in the last six months. People on the outside will not have seen that and will think they have had an easy ride being in a full-time environment the last six months but they have all had their hard times within that. We can’t wait to watch them during the tournament.

“We also have the two players that didn’t make the squad for one reason or another and we are just as proud of them. They have gone through the same process and have both played well this season. Danielle Maxwell has been injured for the last four weeks and I believe would have made the squad otherwise. Toni-Leigh Finnegan would have been very close to making that plane too but, to her credit, two days after being told she wouldn’t be, she came and played in a Final and wanted to be on the pitch with her team-mates. Both these players will have a massive second half of the season ahead of them.”

The Reds will return to Premiership action in a North Belfast Derby clash with Crusaders Strikers in just over a month’s time and McGrady says he and his staff will be doing everything they can to ensure the League leaders are primed to enjoy a strong second half of the season – with one delve into the transfer market already complete.

“We will just take it game by game as we have always done,” he says. “We can only affect the game in front of us and that’s always what we plan for.

“As a coaching staff, we will look use the break to look more into our strengths and weaknesses, also with the transfer window coming up we will always look to see if there is any players we can bring in to make us stronger, though that’s always hard mid-season.

“We will also try to build upon the base of good young players we have coming through. We had eight Academy graduates play in the League Cup Final. If we can add to them this season, we will do. We have already brought in the youngest of McGuinness family with Orleigha joining from Linfield.”