Squad willing

Jim Magilton says Cliftonville’s players must grasp the opportunities that come their way amid a fixture schedule that promises to test his squad.

This evening’s Shamrock Park showdown with Portadown – postponed from January 3 – is the first of nine matches in 32 days as the Reds bid to wade through a backlog of games before the Sports Direct Premiership’s split comes into effect and, while he acknowledges the schedule will put a strain on his options, Magilton is reluctant to go looking for excuses.

“We’re going to be tested in lots of ways over the course of what’s going to be a very big month,” said the Cliftonville boss, who saw Jonny Addis and Micheál Glynn hobble out of Friday night’s clash with Dungannon Swifts.

“We’re playing catch-up and will have a lot of games in a very short period, so there’s no question we’ll need to utilise our entire squad.

“That’s just the nature of the weather in this part of the world, it has left us with a lot of games to catch up on but we’ll just get on with it. Injuries and niggles are going to be part and parcel of that but, as I always say when we have players out injured, that opens the door for others to come into the team and make the most of an opportunity that comes their way.

“These next few weeks are going to be really relentless. Starting with Portadown, we’re playing pretty much two games a week from here on in but those are the big challenges that you look forward to as a player. With games coming thick and fast, it’s all about embracing it and making sure you’re ready when called upon.”

Portadown v Cliftonville
Tuesday, February 17
Adults: £15
Concessions: £10
Under-12s: £5
Tickets: General Sale
Tickets purchased for January 3 fixture valid