No matter how title race ends...this season is just the start for Cliftonville

Matchday number 38, a 50th fixture overall for the Reds, will bring the curtain down on Cliftonville’s against-the-odds Gibson Cup bid in gripping fashion as events over 90-plus minutes at Windsor Park and The Oval settle the outcome of the championship trophy.

Defending champions Linfield hold the upper hand thanks to a slender single-point advantage over Cliftonville before playing host to Coleraine.

McLaughlin will send out his players against Glentoran in search of one final win to keep alive hopes of a last-gasp title turnaround.

His message to ignore the high-stakes roller-coaster of emotions and keep faith in the trusted fundamentals which have served his Solitude squad so well to date confirms both McLaughlin’s determination to stay true to his beliefs on the biggest stage of all and his commitment to the continued pursuit of prizes.

Astute work in the transfer market since his arrival as Reds boss in February 2019 has helped to build on internal foundations with external additions towards a squad capable of producing vibrant performances consistently within a Premiership field featuring rivals with superior resources.

With a League Cup prize in the trophy cabinet and European football on the summer schedule, McLaughlin is keen to draw on the full experience of the Premiership push irrespective of today’s final scorelines.

“We have to be delighted to be sitting in this position going into the final day,” said McLaughlin. “We’ve been underdogs all season to many but it’s no surprise to me as we’ve a brilliant squad.

“We’ve finished the season with silverware, plus secured European football and now go into the last game in contention for the title...so it’s been incredible.

“This whole experience over the season