Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
JAMIE RED SNAP
Harney: The boys all knew we had to break out of a rut and end bad run of results so we simply wiped the slate clean
CLIFTONVILLE’S Jamie Harney has revealed how a frank festive chat helped refocus Paddy Mclaughlin’s men heading into a challenging 2021.
The Reds had endured a frustrating run of form with just one win in their previous seven games prior to the league locking down for a week on Boxing Day.
But Harney says the enforced break allowed the Solitude club to regroup and “wipe the slate clean” prior to last Saturday’s 2-1 win at Dungannon Swifts.
And the former West Ham United defender is eager Cliftonville continue their New Year revival in today’s North Belfast derby with third placed Crusaders at Solitude.
“The recent break gave us some thinking time and it was a chance to focus on the fact we needed to improve as individuals,” he said.
“Our form hadn’t been good enough and we know the onus is on the players to perform. We were doing many things well, but a mistake or lapse in concentration was costing us.
“You can’t expect a management team to prepare for that. It comes down to the players, so we had a chat amongst ourselves and
Paddy also addressed it.
“We used the break as an opportunity for a clean slate and added motivation coming into the New Year. The determination was there to start turning performances into points.”
The heart-to-heart worked a treat with
Ryan Curran (inset) sweeping home an added time penalty to secure a dramatic 2-1 win at Dungannon last weekend.
“It definitely felt like a big win,” said Harney. “I thought we actually played very well, created chances, limited Dungannon and overall our performance was very good.
“Paddy had urged us to come back after the break revitalised and more determined and I think we showed that in our performance.
“Wi n n i n g s o late probably made it more enjoyable and we took a lot from it, because over the season so far we hadn’t got the rub of the green in a lot of games.”
Harney admits it will be a strange experience stepping out for a derby behind closed doors, particularly with the league going into another circuit breaker.
In normal circumstances a bumper, partisan crowd would be packed into Solitude for today’s clash between the North Belfast rivals.
“Playing a North Belfast derby behind closed doors is a lot different to what we’re used to,” said Harney.
“The thing I look forward to the most on derby day is the crowd and it’s always a brilliant atmosphere, so it will be strange without the fans. Both sets of players are probably more used to it now and it’s about creating our own atmosphere within the team and not letting the lack of fans affect us.”