LINFIELD v CLIFTONVILLE BEWARE A RED PERIL

Linfield gaffer Healy warns his players that in-form Cliftonville are not to be treated lightly

DAVID HEALY has warned Linfield they’ll have to be at their best to extend their Betmclean League Cup defence beyond tonight’s quarter-final date with Cliftonville.

Paddy Mclaughlin’s Reds lie second in the Premiership and are in a rich vein of form having won nine of their last 10 games in all competitions.

The Blues meanwhile are looking to bounce back from a below-par display in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to table-topping Coleraine at the Showgrounds.

Add in the fact Cliftonville beat the

Big Two giants in the County

Antrim Shield at Windsor

Park a fortnight ago means

Healy (right) is bracing himself for a challenging night.

“Cliftonville are in form and

Paddy is doing a good job there,” he said. “They are a good side and they have threats all over the pitch.

“It’ll be another tough examination of our credentials and if we want to progress we’ll need to perform better than we did against Coleraine on Saturday “It’ll be a challenge, but we also view it as an opportunity to get our teeth into. I’m pleased we have such a big game so quickly after Saturday.”

Linfield lifted the League Cup for the first time in Healy’s four-year reign last season, beating Ballymena United 1-0 in the final at Windsor in March. In hindsight it was a result and triumph that helped energise and propel the Blues to league title glory two months later.

“The League Cup benefited us last season,” said Healy. “It gave us a bit of a platform to go on and eventually win the league, so it’s important.

“It’s a competition we want to be successful in. We’ll be looking to progress and hopefully we can be better than we were at Coleraine.” Elsewhere, Ballymena United host Crusaders just a fortnight after beating the Seaview men in the County Antrim Shield quarter finals on penalties at the same venue.

The Crues, who drew 2-2 at Glenavon on Saturday, have gone four games without a win, while United have lost their last two league outings to Big Two giants Linfield and Glentoran.

Championship outfit Newry City, who stunned Glenavon in the last round, are at home to Institute who drew 1-1 with Larne at Inver Park at the weekend.

Coleraine, riding high in the top flight, will be big favourites to ease past Dundela who lie fourth in the Championship.

FORM ON THEIR SIDE Cliftonville beat Linfield in the Co Antrim shield a fortnight ago Ballymena United v Crusaders; Dundela v Coleraine; Linfield v Cliftonville; Newry City v Institute (all 7.45pm).