Jim Magilton hails 'incredible achievement' as Cliftonville create piece of history while sealing European qualification

The Reds suffered their lowest Premiership finish since 2004/05 and endured a devastating Irish Cup final penalty shootout defeat to Dungannon Swifts last weekend, but bounced back in style to seal Conference League qualification in a campaign which also included BetMcLean Cup glory.

Captain Rory Hale and Axel Piesold scored in Sunday’s 2-0 triumph against Coleraine at The Showgrounds – a result which means Cliftonville will be competing in Europe for the second consecutive year – and Magilton feels his squad deserve immense credit.

"I can’t speak highly enough of these players,” Magilton told BBC Sport NI. “A week is such a long time in football and I was really disappointed with the negativity around the cup final.

"I thought we created enough chances to win the game and we didn’t. We had to regroup to go away to Glentoran in a semi-final – that’s a really tough venue.

"We won 2-0 and to then come here, another away game, Coleraine on the crest of a wave and to win 2-0, it’s just an amazing feat by these players.

"They deserve so much credit.

"I’m delighted for them – I can’t even describe how sombre they were after (the Irish Cup final) but I was really determined, we as a staff were really determined, to get them in the right frame of mind because we know on their day they are capable of beating anyone in the league.”

Cliftonville also had to deal with the challenges of losing a much-loved colleague in December following the death of defender Michael Newberry on what was his 27th birthday – and Magilton praised his players for how they’ve managed to finish a difficult campaign on a major high.

"If you’d handed me opportunities to win two major trophies and to qualify for Europe in the manner we did, I probably would have accepted it,” added Magilton. “To win a League Cup in the manner we did, to lose an Irish Cup final while trying to go back-to-back was hugely disappointing for us.

"No team that has finished seventh has ever won it, that’s a testament to the character, resilience, courage, bravery of that group and that set of lads, the whole squad.

"We had the devastating loss of Michael Newberry...to galvanise this group to do what they’ve done, it’s just an incredible achievement.”