MANAGER'S VERDICT: Declan Caddell believes hat-trick hero Jay Boyd needs to play with less pressure on his shoulders
Crusaders chief Declan Caddell says Jay Boyd needs to play with more freedom after the striker netted a hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Coleraine at Seaview.
Here’s what Caddell had to say after watching his side move up to fifth in the Premiership table.
PERFECT START:
"It was probably the same as last week where we started well but didn't take our chances.
"Today it was a minute in and I'm delighted for Jay and then top it off with a hat-trick.
"I thought we were good today...obviously Coleraine had a lot of possession without really hurting us.
"I think their chances in the first-half came via mistakes from ourselves in terms of loose passing presenting opportunities for Coleraine.
"We didn't really give them a sniff in the second-half and I felt all the big chances in the game were from us.
"Obviously they had to change shape to get something out of it but I thought we were clinical today and it's something we haven't been lately.
WHY YOU PARTICULARLY PLEASED FOR JAY BOYD?
"Since he's come back and we know his capabilities in terms of who he is and what he can do...he was a big goalscorer for the reserves and I had a chat with him last week about having a bit of pressure on his shoulders since returning, which it shouldn't be.
"It's obviously his boyhood club, he's a Crusaders and his family are fans...but it just seemed he had that bit of pressure.
"When I told him he was starting today, I told him to relax and enjoy it.
"Jay works hard for you, there's no doubting that, it's just doing the basics well and putting the ball between the sticks, which he did today.
"He was clinical with his first two chances and other coaches were talking about taking him off, but I said no in case he got a third, and thankfully he did.
IMPORTANT FOR BOYD TO NET A HAT-TRICK:
"He's scored two and there was always that possibility of a hat-trick because we were creating chances.
"There's a big difference between scoring two and getting a hat-trick and being able to go home with the match ball.
"The decision was to keep him on in the hope of getting that opportunity and obviously we had fresh legs with Josh O'Connor, who had that little bit of magic to win the penalty.
COLERAINE CHANCES FIRST-HALF:
"I think Coleraine's big chances were from a loose pass by Jordan Forsythe which allowed them to go through one-on-one and the second one was a lapse moment from Johnny Tuffey which allowed them in.
"They had a couple of half chances thereafter but no real clear-cut ones.
"I can't remember Johnny Tuffery having a meaningful save to make in the first-half.
"To be fair, they had plenty of possession without really hurting us.