We need inner courage: Magilton

Jim Magilton admits that Cliftonville’s confidence has taken a battering in recent times and that “going back to basics” is the key to rediscovering their best form.

Having lost their previous two Sports Direct Premiership outings, the Reds could barely have endured a worse start when they fell behind inside three minutes of yesterday’s home clash with Larne.

The visitors doubled their advantage before the break and, though Cliftonville enjoyed greater possession and carved out a number of openings after the interval, Magilton acknowledged that a comeback never appeared a likely prospect.

“In the second-half, we had a bit of a go but not enough,” he said.

“That’s three games now where we haven’t been anywhere near the levels. This game is about courage. It’s about the open courage that you see and display in winning tackles and winning headers, but it’s also about inner courage where you take the ball when you know you’re probably going to be under pressure.Everybody wants the ball when you’re winning.

“It’s when you’re going through a tough time that you need individuals to step up to the mark and, at the moment, because confidence is low, we just have to do what we can to find a way.

“It’s back to basics, you have to be hard to beat and, at the minute, we’re too easy to beat.”

On the goals his side gave away during a below par opening 45 minutes, he added: “They’re two poor goals from our point of view. The first one is the sort of thing that can happen, but the second goal just isn’t acceptable. It’s just far too easy and that’s what I mean in terms of us going back to basics, making ourselves hard to beat and working from there.

“We now have a big County Antrim Shield game against Linfield on Tuesday night and that’s the game we have to bounce back in. Our supporters are going to turn up expecting to see a Cliftonville side giving everything for the shirt and that’s exactly the type of team we have to be.”