Irish Premiership: Cliftonville 'have taken on challenge of being underdogs' - McLaughlin

Cliftonville manager Paddy McLaughlin says his team has proved wrong those who thought their challenge for the league title would have faded by now.

The Reds trail leaders Linfield by one point going into the first of their five post-split fixtures, against the Blues, at Solitude on Saturday.

"People thought we would have died off at this stage," said McLaughlin.

"I can't give the players enough credit - they've taken on the challenge of being underdogs throughout the season."

The north Belfast club are on a run of eight straight wins in the Premiership, a sequence which has kept them hot on the heels of the champions, who themselves have won their last six top-flight outings.

"The players have been brilliant all season. They've maintained their form and their high standards and have upset a lot of the odds," observed the Reds' boss.

"We knew it was important that we stay in touch with the leaders as best we could up until the split and here we are one point off the top. We couldn't ask for any more.

"It's going to be tough and we'll have to be at our best if we are to get the right result on Saturday. Every game is going to be tough from here on in."

Cliftonville's impressive recent form sees McLaughlin add the March manager of the month award to his February prize, with in-form striker Joe Gormley one of the standout players during their hot streak of results, which included a comeback League Cup final success over Coleraine.

Gormley has bagged eight goals in his last seven games in all competitions.

"Joe's form at the minute represents him at his best - if you blink or loses sight of him he scores, he's in that kind of form" enthused McLaughlin.

"He is lethal. There aren't many strikers about that can score out of nothing and he is scoring goals that no-one else sees coming.

"We have rotated our forwards all season so that when we got to this stage they would be chomping at the bit to play and that is the case now."

Unlike the Reds, who lost to derby rivals Crusaders in their Irish Cup semi-final, then defeated Portadown 2-0 in their 'game in hand' in the league on Tuesday, Linfield have had two weeks to prepare for Saturday's top-two showdown following their last-gasp victory over Warrenpoint Town on 26 March.

"We are going to need a battling performance against Cliftonville," emphasised Blues' manager David Healy, whose charges are chasing a fifth league triumph in six years.

"We have had three or four really close games against them in the league and County Antrim Shield this season.

"They are on fire at the minute, they are flying, so it's going to be a really tough game."

Linfield have won one of the league meetings between the sides this campaign, with the other two encounters ending in draws.

Glentoran, who sit four points behind Cliftonville in third, host Crusaders at Seaview on Saturday as they try to stay in touch with the pacesetters.