BAXTER TARGETS MORE GLORY
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - Monday 23rtd January 2012 - IRN-BRU League Cup press conference at Irish FA Headquarters Crusaders FC manager Stephen Baxter ahead of the IRN-BRU League Cup Final. Picture by Kelvin Boyes / PressEye.com.
CRUSADERS manager Stephen Baxter still suffers a bout of shivers when thoughts of his team’s last League Cup final appearance flood his mind.
That wet February afternoon is still vividly etched in his memory. It was a day Crusaders came within touching distance of the trophy – then the CIS League Cup – only to be upstaged by one Glenn Ferguson, a late substitute who turned the game on its head by grabbing two dramatic late goals.
Baxter will hope to erase that memory when he leads out his team in the IRN-BRU League Cup final against Coleraine at the Showgrounds, Ballymena.
“Yes, we thought we had the game won against Linfield, 2-1 up with minutes to go then Spike bags two in the last few minutes or something,” recalls Baxter.
“We learned from the experience. We’ve won trophies and lost them in finals. That’s the type of experience that lifts you for the big day. There is no better place to do it than on live television in front of a big crowd.
“It’s exciting. I think the venue is a great choice. The IFA have to be highly congratulated for that. Irn-Bru have marketed the whole event brilliantly and they will be looking forward to the big day, big crowds from both sets of fans, every players’ dream.”
Baxter admits he will leave it until as ‘late as possible’ before finalising his squad.
“I have a panel in my head,” he adds.
“I am concerned about one or two small knocks from last Friday evening (against Ballymena), but I have a good idea what shape we will play.
“All will be revealed at 2pm on Saturday. We are without Ciaran Gargan, who sits out an automatic one game ban after his dismissal last week. Stuart Dallas was brought off early on as a precaution, but we have players who have been there or thereabouts. Matt Hazley and one or two others are in our minds.
“Coleraine are very much the form team. They’re a strong side – a relatively new team with a new manager, who has lifted the whole place. They have good young players, with a few experienced hands. We are aware of their many talents.”
Baxter is confident his boys can handle the pressure of a televised cup final.
“We’ll have no intentions of letting the big match atmosphere suck us in,” he said.
“I remember the team talk from our last cup final like it was yesterday – a north Belfast derby. I told the boys to play like they were playing on the beach – just get on with it and play as if there’s nobody else there.
“You can rightly say it’s a massive game of football but that ball is what is important for the 90 minutes. The boys must focus in on what they do. Will be a tightly contested match? I’m sure it will.
“The guys know what’s at stake – it’s a big thing for them, they know they can’t afford to let the occasion swamp them.”
Baxter had mixed feelings over his team’s last performance – a 2-2 home draw with Ballymena. He added: “We played well for 35 minutes, then we lost Stuart (Dallas).
“They got a penalty which galvanised them and, as I have said all along, the league this year is so evenly contested. There’s a fine line between us all and the league split is still to come, but it’s very close top to bottom.
“Ballymena took the game to us and to be fair, we struggled. Once it’s done, it’s gone, we talk about it in the dressing room afterwards and we move forward.
“We’ll be going to the hotel mid-morning for scrambled egg and let the players focus for game ahead. We’ll be doing what we normally do to try and stay relaxed.”
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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