Danske Bank Premiership: Cliftonville v Larne (tonight, 7.45pm)
Cliftonville skipper Chris Curran knows the mathematics of bringing the Gibson Cup to Solitude are very much stacked against the Reds going into this evening’s clash with leaders Larne, who can clinch a first-ever league title if results go their way.
Only victory in their remaining four games is going to trouble the two teams above them and hot favourites Larne roll into town tonight.
“There aren’t many equations left for us now, nothing complicated, we know we need to go out and win all four games to have any chance in the title race” he says.
With Linfield and Cliftonville both slipping up with draws on Friday against Crusaders and Coleraine respectively, Larne made another charge towards the finishing line with their 2-0 victory over Glentoran at Inver Park.
Those results mean that Larne find themselves with a seven-point lead over Linfield and a nine-point lead over Cliftonville with only 12 points up for grabs.
The Inver Reds side could have the league wrapped up by Wednesday night if they defeat Cliftonville at Solitude and Glentoran do them a favour by beating Linfield at Windsor Park 24 hours later.
Like so many head-to-heads between the top six sides this season, home advantage has been the defining difference between these two.
Larne have come out on top in their two home fixtures so far, with Cliftonville claiming the spoils at Solitude back in January. With only one league defeat at home all season Curran knows the importance of home support on Tuesday night.
“It’s huge for us. We really bounce off the support from the stands. We know defeat will mean our season is over effectively, at least in the title race, and we’re not going to go out with a whimper,” he said.
The man from Swanlinbar, Co Cavan will be using all his experience and knowhow to make sure the result goes the way of the Reds.
Growing up in a rich GAA area, the young Curran never played soccer formally until the age of 12.
His rise from there could only be described as meteoric. First by joining the youth ranks of Ballinamallard United and only two years later making a dream move to Manchester United, after turning down advances from fellow Premier League outfit Newcastle United.
The Cavan man recalls: “I was quite close to signing for Newcastle, then United came in for me and that was it really, no looking back.”
“I suppose I was raw which attracted them. I was fast and direct, something different. Playing with the likes of Danny Welbeck showed me a level of football I’d only imagined watching TV.”
After signing pro contracts at 16, Curran was released after two fantastic years.
“I think the rawness that made me stand out was to be my downfall at the end,” he said.
“I was playing with boys that had spent their whole youth in the United system and were just that step ahead of me technically, but I’d never change those times for the world”
After spells at Portadown and under Whitey Anderson at the Mallards, Cliftonville came calling.
His first season in north Belfast brought a league championship in 2014 under the late Tommy Breslin, and the rest as they say is history.
After a season of ups and downs for Curran, the club captain wants to put the side first in the run-in,
“Yeah, look I would have liked to have gotten more minutes under my belt throughout the season but I’ve been playing more in the last few weeks and will do what I can for the club,” he said.
“It’s my role to motivate the players on and off the pitch and I’m always proud of doing that”
And how does the Cavan man see his side overcoming a rampant Larne?
“We have nothing to fear, especially at home. If we play our own game, we are blessed with goalscorers, Ronan and Rory (Hale), Sean Moore and Ryan Curran,” he said.
“My job at the other end is to keep it tight. We know Larne possess goal threats of their own, but we also know the crowd will get behind us and we’ll not give up on the league and Europe until it’s mathematically impossible.”