Crusaders chief Declan Caddell hails star who 'looks like he’s getting younger' after another standout Premiership performance
Crusaders chief Declan Caddell feels midfield maestro Philip Lowry “looks like he’s getting younger” after producing another standout performance to help the North Belfast outfit seal a 1-0 success over reigning champions Larne.
Captain Lowry formed an experienced Crues spine at Inver Park alongside the returning Jimmy Callacher and Jordan Forsythe, who slammed home a first half header to secure three points to strengthen his side’s push for a top-half Premiership finish.
After starting the calendar year with consecutive defeats to Larne and Dungannon Swifts, Caddell’s men have bounced back emphatically, now winning three of their last four league outings alongside progressing to the Irish Cup quarter-finals.
The sole blemish of that run was a narrow 2-1 defeat to runaway leaders Linfield and Saturday’s result moved them into fourth spot while they’ve collected four points from a possible six on the road against Larne.
Callacher marshalled a youthful Crusaders defence which included Lewis Barr and Jacob Blaney, who provided a pinpoint cross for the decisive winner, while 35-year-old Lowry and Forsythe were joined in midfield by impressive teenager Josh Williamson.
The trio all had key roles to play and Caddell feels he currently has a nice blend of youth and experience.
"Probably the standout for me today was Philip Lowry in the middle – he looks like he’s getting younger with the work he gets through!" laughed Caddell. “I thought he was amazing.
"Jimmy was key for us. Bringing him back into defence made a massive difference in terms of leadership and organisation of the whole team.
“Mal Smith was playing a slightly different role, Lewis Barr is only back from three or four weeks out and I thought he was magnificent.
"Jordan is an unbelievable player and I’m really glad to have him. He’s a good personal friend of mine too so it’s good to see him play well.
"Everybody who played today, including the substitutes that came on, were 10 out of 10 performers and that’s what you need at Inver Park – you need that week in, week out to get results.
"It’s good to have that blend with your experienced players and some younger boys. Josh Williamson just ran out of steam but he was exceptional for an hour. It’s a great result.”
With only nine points currently separating third-placed Dungannon and Glenavon in tenth, there’s an opportunity for a host of teams to stake their claim for a top-six finish and European football.
Crusaders have won 12 and lost 12 of their 28 Premiership matches this season, and just like most managers, Caddell is searching for some extra consistency.
"It’s the story for every manager in the league this season, outside of Linfield, that we’re chasing that bit of momentum and consistency,” he added. "We’ve struggled to do that this year.
"There has been a big changeover in players and the way we want to play, it’s going to take some time to bed in.
"One thing that can’t be questioned this year is our character. We’ve had three defeats on the bounce then put together three or four wins in a row.
"We’ve taken a couple of heavy defeats and always bounced back so we’re in a really good place at the minute. We’ve churned out a lot of good performances since Boxing Day and it’s about keeping that up now.”