Jim Magilton says Cliftonville must go “all guns blazing” again when they host Portadown at Solitude in the Boyle Sports Premiership on Saturday, October 17.
The Cliftonville manager is looking for a quick follow-up to Tuesday night’s 1-0 County Antrim Shield quarter-final win over Glentoran, a result that ended a recent losing streak and gave the Reds a timely lift.
That victory mattered because Magilton had already been stressing the importance of league form after performances against Ballymena United and Coleraine had not brought reward. As he put it, “The League is our bread and butter,” and Cliftonville now need to keep putting points on the board.
Magilton also pointed to the way Tuesday’s result came about, saying the hope had been that consistent performances would eventually bring the little bit of luck a team sometimes needs. Cliftonville got that on the night, even if the 1-0 scoreline could have gone either way at stages, with chances at both ends.
For Magilton, the key is to build on the positives rather than let them fade. “You always want to build on positives,” he said, adding that Cliftonville are hungry to kick on after the win over Glentoran.
A quick turnaround against the same opponent
The Portadown game is also the first of two meetings between the sides in quick succession. After Saturday’s league fixture at Solitude, Portadown will have home advantage for a BetMcLean Cup tie on Tuesday night.
That makes the weekend meeting important for more than one reason. Cliftonville need league points, but they also have a chance to carry momentum into another match against the same opposition only a few days later.
Magilton believes Cliftonville’s starts have been good, and he wants that bright opening to continue against Portadown. With the Reds trying to turn one win into a stronger run, Saturday’s game offers another early test of whether Tuesday night was a one-off or the start of something better.
