Good light

Jim Magilton was delighted with how Cliftonville went about their task in last night’s rearranged Sports Direct Premiership fixture with Portadown.

Abandoned due to floodlight failure with the Reds 1-0 up a fortnight ago, the visitors reasserted that advantage through Joe Sheridan during an impressive first-half and, though they were forced to do a lot more defending after the interval, Cliftonville got their security goal in the closing stages when an error from Ports keeper Alex Moore led to the lead being doubled as Magilton’s men made it back-to-back wins following the weekend victory over Linfield.

Asked whether collecting the three points was a just reward given the frustration of his side’s most recent visit to the Mid-Ulster venue, the Manager said: “You’ve still got to go out and earn the right – I’d have felt happier if they’d allowed the goal to stand and we’d gone into this game 1-0 up.

“I thought in the first-half, we were excellent. I thought our basics and discipline were top notch. We scored a wonderful goal – Joe seems to like it here – and I’m obviously delighted with the three points because it’s always a tough ask after the Sunday game. Once you win that game, it’s a question of can you build on it?

“I thought we defended resolutely again, in the second-half especially, and probably on another occasion, had we been a little bit more ruthless with the final ball, we might have won more comfortably.

“I can’t really comment on the second goal because I haven’t seen it and I don’t really want to bring it up because Portadown have been on the receiving end of a couple of those this season, but we’ll take it.

“It’s three points for us and it helps build momentum.”

Magilton was particularly encouraged by the manner in which his players took the game to Portadown during an opening 45 minutes that might have yielded more than a “wonderful” Sheridan goal.

“I thought in the first-half, we passed the ball really well on what is a pitch that isn’t conducive to that, for both teams,” he added.

“I thought our moments of passing the ball and our right decisions were very good.

“Our goal is a wonderful goal. It’s build up from the back into midfield, into the front player. Ryan Curran did a magnificent job for us and it’s a wonderful strike from Joe so, all in all, it’s a great night’s work for us.To come here and get three points after Sunday is huge for us and now we have to regroup and get ready for an Irish Cup quarter-final.”