Jim issues Col for more

Jim Magilton will encourage his Cliftonville side to play with no fear when they travel to Coleraine on Sports Direct Premiership duty tomorrow.

The Reds’ injury-hit squad produced a stirring display in their midweek reverse at the hands of Glentoran and, though disappointed to lose that game, Magilton was full of praise for how his players went about their business.

“That kind of reaction and that kind of heart is what our supporters expect,” he said.

“We need to keep giving them that. I was really proud of the courage they showed during the week and we’ll look for more of the same against Coleraine.

“Obviously we’re going into a game at a very difficult venue against a team not only chasing a League and Cup double but one well capable of winning both, but these are the sort of games that players should look forward to and enjoy.

“We’re going to be down bodies again, we’ve 10 players out injured. We went into the Dungannon game last week missing six and have added another four since then, and these are players we might not see again until the Play-Offs. I always say that injuries provide opportunities for others and I don’t think anyone could say that the players who came into the team on Tuesday didn’t grasp their chance.

“We obviously want to build something going into the Play-Offs and we’ll ask the players to go and play with courage again.”

While there may appear no discernible difference between finishing fifth and sixth in the Premiership, Magilton is well aware of the effect final positions will have when those European Play-Offs come around. Though ultimately dictated by the outcome of the Irish Cup Final, fifth spot could mean one less match to negotiate and a potential home semi-final.

“You always want to finish as high as you can and the position we find ourselves in at the minute, given everything that’s gone on, is that fifth is what we have to aim for,” he added.

“You also want to go into those games with momentum, form and belief, so at the minute, it’s just about making sure to prepare properly for each game, produce the best performance we can and try to build on that from week to week.”

Coleraine v Cliftonville
Saturday, April 11
Adults: £15
Concessions: £10
Primary School kids: £5
Tickets: General Sale