DANSKE BANK PREMIERSHIP: Crusaders boss hails red hot Gavin Whyte

“He has been really, really good this season and it has been a pleasure to watch him play,” the Crues manager.

“Gavin has brought consistency to his game this year which is what is required at this level and in past seasons we were getting good games, bad games but now we are getting good games all the time.

“When a player is playing with that confidence and he is playing in a good team then he gets the plaudits.

“Billy Joe Burns, Paul Heatley, the boys breaking things down in midfield are all doing well so it really is a team effort so it is not down to any single player but Gavin definitely has the tools and is showing it.”

Captain Colin Coates, who was also on target on Saturday, echoed the words of his manager after the game.

“To score 24 goals is a phenomenal return for a winger,” said Coates.

It was a day of celebration for the Seaview outfit, who attended Jordan Owens’s Testimonial Dinner on Saturday evening.

“I was delighted to score, but more so with the clean sheet because we haven’t had one for a while and I was also pleased with this win because we were all going to Jordan’s testimonial dinner after the game,” added Coates.

“He is the ultimate team mate and team player who works the opposition back four constantly and has scored over 200 goals for the Crues so we all wanted him to have a great night.”