It’s not kids’ play: Magilton

Jim Magilton admits the Sports Direct Premiership is a difficult League for a young player to be thrown into the deep end of.

An injury-hit Cliftonville slumped to a 6-2 defeat at Coleraine yesterday despite racing into a 2-0 lead through Joe Gormley and Liam McStravick.

The Reds rung the changes from the bench throughout the game but with experienced options thin on the ground at the minute, Magilton acknowledged it’s a tough environment for young players to step into.

“We set up really brilliantly,” he said of his team’s start.

“We worked on one or two aspects and when you see that work when transferred into a game, at 2-0 I thought we executed that plan perfectly.

“From 2-0 up and being really well in the game to being 4-2 down at half-time, you’re thinking it’s a capitulation here.”

Minus the services of long-time absentees Rhyss Campbell, Ryan Corrigan and Eric McWoods in addition to Jonny Addis, Shaun Leppard, Kyle McClelland, Harry Wilson, Josh Kelly, Sean Robertson and Bayo Fapetu – whose season the Manager confirmed is over – Magilton introduced Paul Stanfield for his debut alongside Academy graduate Joe Sheridan, with fellow young gun Shea McGarry entering the fray just past the hour.

Cliftonville’s fortunes on the injury front were perhaps best summed up when, just seven minutes after emerging from the bench, Callum McCay was forced off, leading to Keevan Hawthorne extending the Academy’s representation on the pitch.

“We had to make changes at half-time and we have a lot of our younger players out there but that’s by the by, they’re all ready and willing to step up,” he added.

“This is obviously a very difficult place to come and do that but, in the end, Coleraine have won at a canter.”

On the injury issues, he explained: “It’s probably the worst I’ve ever experienced and I’m not making excuses because all these players want to play. In a very difficult and uncompromising League, it’s very tough to make that step up.

“We got bad news about Bayo during the week, he’s probably out for three to six months with an ankle sprain. That’s just the nature of the beast. We’ve got so many first-team lads out now and we’re doing everything we can to try and get them fit.”