Crusaders taking one game at a time says Ross Clarke

Stephen Baxter’s side are nestled in behind the top two nicely as a gap has opened up between the top three and the rest of the league.

Crues winger Ross Clarke, who scored a magnificent solo effort against Glentoran on Saturday, says they are happy to go under the radar for the time being as he feels the experience they have in their ranks will stand them in good stead in the long run.

“From the outside looking in it’s not something that fazes us,” said Clarke.

“All we can do is look after what we do and take one game at a time.

“It’s up to us to get the points on the board and ultimately it’s a job we have to do every season.

“We aim high and we want to do the best we can, and hopefully come the end of the season we’ll be up there or thereabouts.

“Fair dues to Larne they have certainly stepped up and shown what they can do.

“The things with our league you can’t really call what’s going to happen, you just have to wait and see how the league pans out.

“With our squad where we might find an advantage is we have loads of experience with players who have been there and done it.

“We have a great bond as a squad and a team packed with players who have been about the Irish League for years.

“Hopefully that will stand in our favour come the end of the season.”

Clarke’s wonder goal lit up the final few minutes of Saturday’s encounter with the Glens. The former Linfield man has the ability to produce that sort of goal, but he has challenged himself to do it on a more regular basis.

“There’s a big difference between doing it in training and producing it in games on a Saturday,” he said. “That’s something I want to focus on and produce it more often.

“Days like today will hopefully give me a lot of confidence going forward.

“The message at half time was if I got half a chance, get the head up and take it on.

“There were a few other opportunities in the first half, I think I was a bit hesitant, and I just thought in the second half that I was going to capitalise on one of them.

“I gave it a go and it went in for me.

“I couldn’t tell you how many players I beat to be honest.

“I just cut inside, I came across them more so than taking them on and beating them.

“It opened up for me, I saw the space and as I say thankfully it went in.

“I think we were the better team and we just kept plugging away and a few chances opened up or us and we were able to take them.”