Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton insists having Ryan Curran back is a “massive positive” for his side after the striker made a first competitive start since May 2023 in their 2-1 UEFA Conference League second qualifying round first leg defeat to FK Auda at Solitude.

The 30-year-old spent a prolonged period on the sidelines due to a groin injury which required surgery in November, forcing him to miss the entirety of last season, but played 68 minutes in the Reds’ European opener.

Curran has netted double figure Premiership goals in each of his last three full campaigns and his return comes at a perfect time after Magilton lost Sam Ashford (Wealdstone), Ronan Hale (Ross County) and Ben Wilson (Airdrieonians) this summer – a trio that combined to score 38 of Cliftonville’s 80 league goals last season.

The North Belfast outfit will face an uphill task to continue their European run in Latvia after Abiodun Ogunniyi and Abdulrahman Taiwo scored either side of Luke Conlan’s maiden Reds strike on Wednesday evening, which provided a further continental setback for Irish League clubs following exits for Crusaders and Linfield.

placeholder image — Cliftonville's Ryan Curran made his first competitive start since May 2023 in their European defeat to FK Auda. PIC: Andrew McCarroll/ Pacemaker Press.

Magilton was frustrated with the manner of the goals his side conceded – Ogunniyi struck after Cliftonville failed to clear from a corner while Taiwo pounced on a defensive lapse – but could also take some positives.

“Getting Ryan Curran back on the pitch is just huge and in such a competitive game for an hour...fantastic,” he said. "He's a massive positive for us.

"Ryan Corrigan gets an opportunity to get his first taste of European football for the club. So those are the things that we'll take from it, we'll pick the bones and be ready for the next one.

"The two goals that we conceded - no matter what level - are bad goals, really bad goals. In a game where those margins are very, very tight it can't happen. Set-piece...can't happen, then it's basically a three v one...can't happen.

"Even the first goal...I felt we were growing in the game, then we get a jolt then we get back into it. Half-time we emphasised the positives, where we could exploit weaknesses in their team, especially when they had the ball and we could nick the ball and play on the counter-attack, which you have to do at times.

"With our three centre-backs for the second goal, as much as I thought they were good, I can't get my head around how he scores from there.

"Other than that (two goals against), we were very competitive and, in terms of where we are in our season, I was extremely happy with them. I think we can show more courage...when we did I thought we passed the ball well against a side bang in their season."

While Curran was a welcome returnee, Magilton is set to be without last season’s Player of the Year Rory Hale for at least a few more weeks after he sustained an injury during their Charity Shield defeat against Larne.

"No (he won’t be back for the second leg) – definitely not,” he added. “He’s ruled out for a number of weeks with an ankle ligament injury.”