Jim Magilton hails return of influential Cliftonville star but urges caution
As weeks go it hasn't been a bad one for Cliftonville.
They followed up their 5-1 thumping of Loughgall last Saturday with an impressive display in the goalless draw with Linfield during the week to stay level on points with the Blues at the top of the Irish Premiership. But perhaps the biggest plus point for the Reds was the return of the influential Rory Hale.
The midfielder has been out since the start of July after picking up an ankle ligament injury in the Charity Shield against Larne. Hale made a return to action in Tuesday night's draw at Solitude with Magilton delighted to welcome him back but he urged a note of caution.
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"It's huge as Rory is the catalyst for lots of good things that we try to do," said the Cliftonville boss. "We still have to manage him as that's his first outing and we're conscious that you get him in at the right time because he's so enthusiastic and passionate and wants to play."
The Reds face another tough test this afternoon as they travel to in-form Ballymena United. The Sky Blues have won their last four games and in Ben Kennedy they have the league's top scorer.
"They've got momentum and have a really good player in Ben, but we're building momentum too and I've liked the way we've played in the last couple of games," said Magilton. "We've managed to bed the new players in and give them a feel for the group.
"They will have enjoyed the atmosphere against Linfield because that's what this stadium can bring. The boys know there's a real desire for us to be competitive. The window helped us, we got players in who we wanted and who were going to make a difference to us."
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