Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton explains 'unique' talents of Joe Gormley

Jim Magilton has hailed Joe Gormley as a "unique" talent who remains one of the Irish League's top stars.

Gormley offered another reminder on Saturday with a clinical hat-trick in Cliftonville's 4-1 win over Dungannon Swifts.

It was the 34-year-old's 16th hat-trick for the club, and a crucial treble to keep the Reds on Linfield's coat tails at the top of the Premiership table.

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Saturday was also Gormley's 501st appearance for Cliftonville, a remarkable record that shows no signs of halting any time soon.

Magilton told the BBC: "When we have a goalscorer of the stature and quality of Joe Gormley....It's no coincidence it's Joe who finds the space.

"That is an art in itself. And then to have the composure to find the net.

"These guys have the unique ability to stay so cool and find the corners of the net. And this is no fluke. It's 501 games and x amount of goals. He is a wonderful player."

Magilton joked: "Joe could have been sitting beside me earlier because he didn't pass on a couple of occasions. He was very lucky he stayed on the pitch to get his hat-trick.

"But no, he is a wonderful player. And a unique player. We feel very lucky to have him."

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Cliftonville are on an impressive four-game winning run in the Premiership, form which has seen them close to within five points of Linfield at the summit.

Next up it's the visit of Ballymena United next Saturday, a side Magilton's men have yet to beat this season.

The Reds boss believes there is plenty more to come from his players as they look to lay down a title challenge.

"We have taken our moments and capitalised (in recent games). There is so much more to come and lots of learnings from today," Magilton said.

"We gave away the ball too cheaply today. We emphasise the positives, of course. We will do it again. They are all good players.

"We need to go into next Saturday with that momentum and belief we can get a result."

Asked how he sees this season's title race, Magilton added: "I see it as being very open. But the thing is Linfield are winning. A lot has been made of Linfield's start, but they are top of the league by five points and deserve credit.

"We are in that chasing pack. The bottom six from last season have recruited really well. It is a more level playing field, and there are no easy games.

"We haven't beaten Ballymena this season. It will come down to how we approach the game and how ruthless we are."

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