Jim Magilton says every game from now until the end of the season is a cup final for his Cliftonville side.

The Reds have the BetMcLean Cup final against Glentoran to look forward to next month, but Magilton feels their remaining league games will carry the same weight in the race for a top six finish.

Cliftonville slipped up on Sunday when they dropped two points late on against Portadown with Magilton believing they are under more pressure now going into tonight's game against Carrick Rangers.

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"It's a real race for the top six now and the games are all cup finals obviously including the BetMcLean Cup final," he said.

"That's the way we have to look at it. Sunday was a massive game for us and I emphasised that to the players.

"I don't think I was ever comfortable in the game, but I felt when we got the second we would go on and win it. We didn't, so that puts us under even more pressure going into Carrick on Wednesday.

"We know what to expect. They test your character and resilience and ask real questions of you. You have to be able to stand up and take that and then come out and play."

Cliftonville twice gave up the lead against Portadown much to Magilton's frustration, but there was relief they came out with a point in the end.

“When we went 1-0 up, I thought we had real control in the game, but then we conceded a really sloppy goal,” reflected Magilton.

“Then when we scored our second goal, I thought we were on top of the game then and, if we’d had a little bit more nous and knowhow, we could have gone on to score more. Portadown had to come and seek an equaliser and we could have played through that, but we didn’t.

“Then we conceded another poor goal and, to be fair to Portadown, they ended the game as the aggressor as we didn’t have enough.

“We lacked game understanding and at this level, that can cost you. There was a naivety in our play.

“In the end, we were hanging on in a game when I didn’t think we should have been, because Portadown ended the game as the aggressor.”

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