'My dream is to win it' - Jim Magilton looking to deliver Irish Cup glory for Cliftonville

​Goals from Jonny Addis and Ronan Hale mean the Solitude outfit are now just one step away from ending a 45-year wait for competition success, which would cap off what has been a tremendous first campaign for Magilton.

They’re still challenging for the Premiership title, trailing leaders Larne by seven points with the pair set to meet once again on Tuesday night, while they’ve all but secured European football for next season regardless of the result in May’s Irish Cup final.

"My dream is to win it - that would be wonderful,” said Magilton. “We know the task ahead is huge but I believe on our day we're as good as any team in the league and we just have to go and show it.

"Everyone talks about it (the hoodoo), but I don’t – I talk about what we’re going to do and to be fair to Marty Quinn, I think he said he hopes we win it just to take it away from us!

"These players deserve all the credit and they now have an opportunity to play in a showcase final against a top side.

"It was a fantastic performance against Larne.

"When you think about the quality of the opposition, you have to come up with a game plan and I thought we frustrated them to a large extent.

"At half-time it was about reinforcing the positives of our team and what we’re all about – be more composed playing through pressure...they’re a high pressing team and don’t give you a minute so you need to have the courage to play.

"We spoke about taking our opportunities and I thought we picked them off really well and we’d one or two more to kill the game.

"Overall it was a fantastic performance.

"Concentration levels have to be so high when you’re playing against top players.

"When you think about the goal run that Andy Ryan and Lee Bonis are on, Levi Ives and Tomas Cosgrove have 21 assists between them and Leroy Millar is a threat, so to nullify all those dangers is hugely satisfying for the players – they were marvellous.”

Magilton’s appointment last summer was met with much negativity, but the ex-Northern Ireland international has undoubtedly won the Reds fanbase over with not just results, but also the attractive style of football he has implemented in North Belfast.

Saturday’s success means Cliftonville have reached the final – their first in six years – without conceding a single goal while scoring 11 in the process.

"I mind my own business...everybody has an opinion and that’s fine,” reflected Magilton on the initial mixed response. “There’s social media and everything, but it never bothered me.

"I was more focused on could I improve the players?

"It took me a little time to come to the reality that I could, that I could work with them and that we could go places.

“I have never got bogged down in that in my football life and am not going to start now.”