Clash of confidence

Jim Magilton expects confidence to be high in both camps when Cliftonville and Carrick Rangers go toe-to-toe at Solitude tomorrow afternoon.

Though disappointed to have conceded a late equaliser in their last Sports Direct Premiership outing at Larne on Sunday, the Reds had plenty of positives to take from a dominant performance at Inver Park before a heavily rotated side got the better of Armagh City in midweek BetMcLean Cup action.

The Gers have, meanwhile, been on an upward trajectory since their last encounter with Cliftonville; that 2-0 win on October 5 – which came just a couple of days before Stephen Baxter’s appointment as Manager – commencing a sequence of 15 points from nine games for a side that previously had just three to its name.

“Carrick will be high on confidence but so will we, both teams have reasons to be upbeat going into the game,” explains Magilton.

“Stephen Baxter has obviously given them a surge in confidence. They are an experienced group of players that know how to win in the League.

“They will enjoy coming to Solitude and we’ll have to answer any problems that they give us. It’s about us, completely about how we approach the game.

“We were very frustrated to have dropped points against Larne last weekend, especially after the way we had played in dominating the game, but we’ve reaffirmed the positives from our performance and it’s about building on them.”

Cliftonville v Carrick Rangers
Kick-off 3pm
Adults: £15
Concessions: £10
Tickets: General Sale
Members Tickets and Season Tickets valid