IRISH LEAGUE: Diarmuid O'Carroll won't be spitting his dummy out at Seaview

The 28-year-old has been forced to bide his time on the sidelines this season as the Crues continue their march towards back-to-back titles.

Stephen Baxter has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal, not least Jordan Owens who broke the club’s goalscoring record in last week’s Irish Cup win over Rathfriland Rangers.

O’Carroll also made his mark with a clinical finish against the Amateur League side, and he hopes his performance – and goal – will give manager Baxter food for thought in the weeks ahead.

“My hope against Rathfriland was to play and get on the scoresheet,” the former Cliftonville striker said.

“I wanted as many minutes as I could get and put myself into the manager’s thoughts for Saturday’s game against Glentoran.

“I played wide in the cup game, and there is quite a bit of competition for places out there. We have (Michael) Carvill, (Gavin) Whyte, (Paul) Heatley, (Jordan) Forsythe and whoever else. There are boys who are different class and not making the squad.

“So I just have to be patient. I am not a kid any more so I won’t be throwing my toys or spitting my dummy out of the pram. The Irish Cup was good for me and hopefully I can get some more game time.”

O’Carroll has bagged five goals this season, a tally he would love to improve on when Glentoran visit Seaview on Saturday.

The Crues continue to lead the way in the Premiership, sitting six points clear of Linfield and Cliftonville as the race for the Gibson Cup intensifies.

Their supremacy at the summit could have been greater, but dropped points during Christmas and the New Year stalled their title onslaught.

A 2-2 draw with Cliftonville on Boxing Day was followed by a New Year’s Day defeat to Linfield.

But after last week’s Irish Cup success against Rathfriland, O’Carroll hopes they can once again go on a lengthy unbeaten run.

“We have some big games coming up, and every player in the squad will be needed,” he added.

“There is competition for places all over our squad, and every player needs to be ready for the nod.

“I just have to keep the head down and be prepared for when the call comes. There are a lot of quality strikers at the club. There are options for every position, so it must be difficult for the manager.

“I just have to take my chances whenever they come my way and hopefully get a few goals. That’s all I can do.”