Jim Magilton 'would like someone to be more prolific' - but happy with Cliftonville goal spread
While Jim Magilton admits Cliftonville “would like someone to be more prolific”, he’s happy to see goals being spread across the pitch – and predicts there’s even more to come.
The Reds are currently enjoying a seven-game unbeaten Premiership run and sit fifth ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bangor – a feat they have been able to manage without a striker producing big numbers.
Eric McWoods scored his first league goal of the campaign in last weekend’s 5-2 victory over Glenavon while club legend Joe Gormley’s involvement has been limited in recent weeks.
Cliftonville were reliant on Gormley last term – he scored 20 Premiership goals – but this time around have had to look elsewhere in their mission to climb the table.
Centre-back Jack Keaney, who also finds himself on free-kick duty, is their current top-scorer with six while teenage midfielder Joe Sheridan has scored in three consecutive matches.
No top-flight team has scored more goals (13) or collected more points (13) across the last five matches played by each team than Cliftonville.
"We would like someone to be more prolific,” said Magilton. “We've been coming in for a bit of stick because in certain games we've been maybe lacking goals from centre-forwards, but if you can get an even spread or spread from your defenders and from your midfield players.
"We want more goals from midfield players. Given the quality of midfield players that we have, I think there's more goals in them.
"At the moment, it's about continuing this upward trend and this momentum we've got.
"If you've seen any of our games, Eric creates devastation in opposition boxes and he's just been unlucky with his finishing. He just probably needs to calm down a little bit, but I thought he took his goal really, really well (against Glenavon).”
Magilton will be without influential captain Rory Hale, who picked up his fifth yellow card last weekend, and Odhran Casey following his second half dismissal at Solitude.
Bangor marked their Premiership return with an emphatic opening day 3-1 win over Cliftonville and Lee Feeney’s Seasiders sitting comfortably in eighth.
Ben Arthurs has taken another step up in his stride, scoring eight times in 19 league appearances, and Magilton was full of praise for the form shown by Bangor this season.
"Lee Feeney and his squad of players have been outstanding,” he added. “They've been absolutely fantastic this year.
"We've got to go and present ourselves, look forward to the challenge and hopefully our qualities can surpass theirs.”