FULL POST-MATCH REACTION: Crusaders assistant manager Jeff Spiers on their Premiership victory over Loughgall

On the match

"I thought it was a very good game between two teams that tried to play on a difficult pitch.

"Over the 90 minutes I thought we just shaded it.”

On Paul Heatley and potentially trying to convince him not to retire at the end of this season

"To be completely honest, I think he was going to do that at the end of last season and Stevie (Baxter) has already done that to get him to extend his contract by a year.

"He’s going to be sorely missed. He’s a fantastic player in the Irish League. I think he has made his mind up. He talked about retiring last year and he said he’s definitely going to do it this year unfortunately.

"He has scored some classy goals, won us some big matches and he’s just a fantastic player and fantastic guy.”

On victory being the most important thing on a tricky surface

"That’s it. It was a wee bit dogged and I thought it was the best all-round team performance we’ve had since the turn of the year.

"I thought we defended really well at times. Big JoJo (Jordan Williamson) came in to play only his second game and he pulled off some fantastic saves and the two big centre-halves defended like they should and that’s how we won the game.”

On the impressive Lewis Barr

"He was man of the match last weekend against Dungannon Swifts and he has put in another 9/10 display today.

"I think his spell at Harland & Wolff Welders has done him the world of good.”

On the importance for the academy to see players like Barr coming through and getting opportunities

"It definitely is. We had another young lad in Ryan Donnelly on the bench and we’ve a couple of players who in the next year or two could make the grade.”

On hoping to use this victory as momentum

"I hope so. I think we only need three points now and we’ll be in the European play-off which is our main aim. We have nine games left and we want to try and finish as high up the league as we can and hopefully get a home draw in the European play-off.

"Everything is about tempo and momentum. Sometimes you get into wee spell of losing games and we’ve came to a very tough place and put in a good performance.

"It was a bit similar to the last time we were down here. We had to battle to win and we’ve done that.”