Cliftonville FC host Carrick Rangers on Saturday 31 October aiming to turn a vital win into a run of form. The Reds ended a four-match losing streak with a 2-0 victory at Portadown last weekend, a result that moved them to ninth in the Premiership with 12 points from 12 games. They have four wins and eight losses from those twelve matches, with a goal difference of minus two after scoring 13 and conceding 15.

That win, secured by goals from A. Bannon and J. Sheridan, was their first in five league outings. Their recent form of one win and four losses has left them 20 points behind leaders Linfield, underlining the importance of stringing results together. The fixture against Carrick Rangers, scheduled for 15:00 at Solitude, offers that chance.

Head-to-head context

Cliftonville will be confident based on the last meeting between the sides. On September 12, they secured a 3-1 away victory against Carrick Rangers. That result is a stark contrast to their recent struggles, which included defeats to Limavady United, Ballymena United, Coleraine and a home loss to Portadown before last week's away win. The sequence of those recent results was a 1-2 home defeat to Portadown on Saturday 17 October, a 1-0 loss at Coleraine on Saturday 10 October, a 0-1 home defeat to Ballymena United on Saturday 3 October, and a 1-0 loss at Limavady United on Saturday 26 September.

Carrick Rangers arrive in better recent shape, with three wins, a draw and one loss from their last five matches. Their last starting lineup featured N. Gartside in goal, with M. Place, K. Nelson and J. Forsythe in defence. Cliftonville's most recent XI saw P. Morrison between the posts, with a back line of O. Samuels, S. Leppard, K. McClelland and A. Bannon, who scored against Portadown.

Live data context

With a goal difference of minus two after scoring 13 and conceding 15, they need points to climb away from the lower half. The immediate focus is Saturday's game, but a trip to face Dungannon Swifts follows on Saturday 24 October. Dungannon, currently eighth, beat Cliftonville 2-0 when the teams met in August. The Reds' next fixture is that away match at Stangmore Park, where they will face a side just one place above them in the table.