David Healy feels his side must “dust themselves down and go again” as they attempt to get back to winning ways in tonight’s crunch Belfast derby against Cliftonville at Solitude in the Sports Direct Irish Premiership.
Healy cut a despondent figure after losing 1-0 to Larne at the weekend at Windsor Park after watching his side fail to convert a number of chances in front of goal.
The frustrated manager could only watch on as his team’s 12-point lead over the reigning champs was reduced to nine, but with the Inver men having three games in hand.
The Windsor boss knows that things won’t get any easier this evening.
“Going to play against a Jim Magilton side is never an easy task,” he said.
“They have had a great start to the season, only losing one game so far.
“They are particularly difficult to play against at Solitude and have plenty of goalscoring threats all over the pitch,” he continued.
“But we will go and challenge ourselves again. We have to get our heads up, dust ourselves down and go again, and I’m sure the boys will respond.”
Cliftonville now find themselves level with Linfield at the summit of the table - behind only on goal difference – after serving out a 5-1 thrashing to Loughgall in Co Armagh on Saturday.
Veteran striker Joe Gormley scored early in the game for his third of the season, while Taylor Steven grabbed a late brace to “seal the deal.”
With only five goals conceded in their six games so far, Linfield will certainly provide a sterner rear guard for the north Belfast men to break through.
But the Blues need to make possession count, as failing to do so has been to their detriment in their last two outings.
Before the Larne defeat, Healy’s men also conceded a late equaliser to Portadown at Shamrock Park after looking comfortable for large swathes of the game and they will know even this early in the season that their fans will not be happy if they go three games without a win.
Supporters will look at closest rivals Larne and feel they may have one eye on the European Conference League and therefore it might be the best opportunity in recent years for the Blues to bring the Gibson Park back to south Belfast, but they must have more of a ruthless edge tonight.
Cliftonville will be desperate for a statement victory over a title challenger.
In their two games so far against sides that finished inside the top six last term, namely Crusaders and Glentoran, they have drawn and lost and if they are serious about mounting a title challenge, they must start winning against sides of the calibre of Linfield.
In last year’s meetings between the two teams, Cliftonville also struggled, grabbing only a single point in four attempts, something that Magilton will be desperate to rectify post haste.
Perhaps tonight will be the Reds’ best attempt at grabbing a win with the uncertainty amongst the Linfield squad and the pressure of watching Larne over their shoulder, but there are no better sides than the Windsor-side for overcoming adversity when the pressure is on.