MORROW REVELS IN CUP WIN
Press Eye, Belfast, Northern Ireland - 28th January 2012 Irn Bru league cup final between Coleraine and Crusaders at Ballymena showgrounds. Coleraines and Crusaders Photograph: Stephen Hamilton Presseye.com
CHRIS Morrow believes Saturday’s IRN-BRU League Cup final success vindicates his decision to stay at Crusaders.
The mercurial playmaker bagged the match-winning goal on Saturday to send the Shore Road men into dreamland at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
Morrow recently penned a new two-year deal with the Crues despite a number of Irish League rivals monitoring his situation at Seaview.
And following Saturday’s League Cup triumph, the man of the match insists he is loving life with Stephen Baxter’s side.
“Days like this vindicate my decision to stay. I have signed for another two years which will take me up to 12 years at the club,” he said.
“It shows you the support the team has. We know when we go back to the club tonight the fans will be there. So days likes this mean everything and that is why I signed a new deal.
“I also know we have a good squad. This is a special place for footballers. You wouldn’t get it anywhere else – maybe I am contradicting myself because I haven’t been anywhere else.
“But any player we do sign say the same. It is very homely and has a good atmosphere.”
Morrow helped exorcised some of the demons of 2009 when he missed out on Crusaders’ memorable Irish Cup win.
The midfielder had only returned from a broken leg earlier that season and did not feature in any round of the competition.
“The Irish Cup in final in 2009 was disappointing. I think it was the only time I lifted a winners’ medal without playing in a single round of a game in that competition,” he said.
“That might be a quiz question in years to come – who won an Irish Cup winners’ medal without playing a single minute?
“So to win my first senior medal is nice. That was in my mind all week and thankfully it has come true in the end.
“I am over the moon, but I keep my emotions to myself.”
Morrow’s winning goal arrived in the 35th minute when he raced onto Stuart Dallas’ neat flick before coolly slotting the ball past Coleraine goalkeeper Gavin Cullen.
“I had made two runs into the box previously and Coleraine managed to get a tackle in,” he said.
“This time David Rainey and Stuart Dallas helped send me clear and I saw there was a gap which I aimed for and it ended up in the back of the net.
“I have scored two or three similar goals at the Showgrounds so it has been good to me here.”
Morrow believes Saturday’s success can be attributed to a solid team effort from the Crues.
“The boys are ecstatic. They prepared well all week and it has paid off today,” he said.
“We concentrate on ourselves, and we know the job in hand going into these games.
“It doesn’t matter who you play, you need the right attitude. And we had that today from our goalkeeper to the strikers.
“Everyone did the right job.
“The man of the match is nice but I don’t dwell on that. It is a team game.
“You hope something comes along to lift you and this is it. Now we have to push on and try and reach the top four.
“There is plenty more to play for this season.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
