Ben Hall delighted to play his part in league glory

Tensions were rising at Windsor Park as the game remained goalless heading towards half-time and with Cliftonville in the ascendancy at The Oval.

Step forward Ben Hall.

The big centre-back, who joined the Blues in January, picked the perfect time to score his first goal for the club as he powered home a header from a Niall Quinn corner in the 43rd minute.

The sense of relief around the ground was palpable.

And the title was all but wrapped up minutes later as Chris McKee added a second.

“I think it’s only natural there are going to be a few nerves when there’s so much at stake and the bumper crowd.

“Everybody probably would have been feeling the tension.

“Thankfully I popped up with the goal at the right time, which probably settled us a bit.

“The second just before half-time probably settled it, it was game over from then really as once we go in front we’re that good at managing the game and seeing it out.

“Thankfully I got my first goal and it’s just unbelievable to get it when I did and on the occasion of winning the league.

“It’s the biggest club in the country and as a player you want to win things and these are the games you want to play in.

“I’m delighted to win my first title. It would have been heartbreaking to be sitting here having won nothing after a long, gruelling season.

“Thankfully we’ve done it and it’s another title to add to the collection for the club.”

Hall was also full of praise for boss David Healy.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit for the job he has done,” he said.

“With the amount of players he’s lost since last year and the transition into full-time, it has been a massive turnaround player-wise, to get them all to click and to go and win another league title on the back of it, the fourth in a row, is unbelievable.

“It’s been a great changing room to come into, and a great bunch of lads to do it with, I’m delighted.”