Hi °C | Lo °C 
Eddie Patterson is daring to dream that a final twist in the tale can see his Cliftonville side become Carling Premiership champions.
Everything hinges, however, on the Reds beating Linfield at Windsor Park.
Anything less will see that dream evaporate.
A victory though would see the title race go down to the final day of the season and that would test the character and mental toughness of all involved in both the blue and the red corners.
“For us it’s three points or nothing. Anything less and the title is Linfield’s,” said Patterson.
“There are three points to play for and at the very least we want to take them and therefore take the league down to the last game.
“There could be a twist that would allow us to win the league, but that will only become a possibility if we beat Linfield and we know that will be tough because they will want to get it wrapped up — especially in front of their own fans.
“I have thought about there being a sequence of results that would give us the title, but it’s not in our hands, so we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.
“We’ll just concentrate on what we have to do and if that makes us champions it will be great. If it means we end up in second then it’s still a marvellous achievement for the players.”
In order to snatch the Gibson Cup out of Linfield’s grasp the Reds must win this evening and away to Glentoran on Saturday, while hoping that Portadown will beat the Blues at Shamrock Park.
The Ports will be guaranteed a European place if Linfield are champions, as they face the Blues in the Irish Cup final on Saturday week, so it is in their interests to host the trophy presentation.
“All along I have said to the players that we’ve got to look after ourselves and win our own games. Over the last three or four games they have done that,” said Patterson.
“We knew that we needed favours and we still do, but other than Crusaders taking three points off Glentoran last week and a point from Linfield on Saturday other results haven’t really gone our way.
“Since the split we have won our three games, with two to go, but even if we win those we still might not win the league — and we won’t without someone else doing us a favour.”
Under Patterson’s management the Reds have been regular challengers, but never before have they entered the final week of the campaign still in with a chance — albeit a slim one — of claiming the crown.
“When we’ve been in this position before we’ve never pushed on and been right in the mix,” said Patterson.
“In fact a couple of seasons ago we hit the front with about five games to go and it was in our own hands, but we didn’t win another game.
“We talked about it and reminded the players of that fact and told them that we didn’t want that happening again.
“They’ve stuck to the task this time and have kept going, winning matches and we are now in the situation where we are still in the hunt.
“The one thing that we don’t want to do is hand Linfield the title, so we won’t be going to Windsor Park to try to contain them, we’ll play our normal game and go for the win and then we’ll see what happens on Saturday.”
