Paddy McLaughlin proud of Cliftonville despite first-leg defeat

The Reds produced an impressive display in Slovakia as new boy Ronan Hale cancelled out Szantho’s opener in the first half.

Krstovic put the hosts back in front at the MOL Arena in the second half before Moumou was dismissed late on.

Cliftonville could not find a leveller but McLaughlin was full of praise for his side.

“The players worked their socks off from start to finish against high calibre opposition and I couldn’t be prouder of them,” he told the club website.

“The boys had to work very, very hard to keep their shape and discipline off the ball and they did it superbly right throughout the game.

“They never lost focus and they weren’t afraid to have a go when the opportunity was there.

“Every one of them – from the starting team through to the subs – put in a serious shift and gave it everything they had.

“You’re obviously never happy to lose any game but it’s a scoreline that means there’s everything to play for next week and I think everybody associated with the Club is already looking forward to a big European night at Solitude.

“Giving our fans here a reward and giving our fans back home something to look forward to means so much to us.

“The boys really appreciate that support and I think we saw at the end of the game that players and supporters both appreciated each other’s efforts throughout the match.”