Bangor boss Lee Feeney says January recruit Liam Hassin is an “absolute pleasure to work with” and feels he has the potential to reach even greater heights after hitting the ground running at Clandeboye Park.

The 23-year-old joined the Seasiders from Ballyclare Comrades last month and has played a key role in helping Feeney’s side maintain their status as Championship title favourites, currently holding an eight-point advantage at the summit.

Former Larne and Carrick Rangers midfielder Hassin has started in each of Bangor’s last six league matches and also helped them progress into the Irish Cup quarter-finals, where they’ll face Glentoran.

“I’ve not seen Liam mentioned too much, but he’s been an absolute pleasure to work with from the day he came in,” Feeney told the club’s website. “He’s brilliant to work with, he’s humble, hardworking and if you ask any of his team-mates, they absolutely love playing alongside him.

placeholder image — Bangor manager Lee Feeney. (Photo by Sarah Harkness/Pacemaker Press)

“He loves football, loves being out on the pitch and he has the ability to grab a game by the scruff of the neck, and I’d like to actually see him do that more often because he is capable of doing that.

“He has the ability to be the best player on the pitch and I said to him to come out, and to be fair, I would say he was a contender for the best player on the pitch in the second half (in last weekend’s win over Armagh City).

“The way he is on the ball, he has the ability to control the game with how he passes the ball and he makes the players around him better – and they’ll tell you that too.

“He’s been an absolute pleasure, and he can play in different positions and he’ll still perform.”

Another player entering Friday’s cup tie in fine form is striker Ben Arthurs, who has now scored back-to-back hat-tricks after netting trebles in consecutive wins over Ballinamallard United and Armagh City.

The 26-year-old struck three times in the first half at Holm Park, bringing his seasonal league tally to 18 – only H&W Welders striker Michael McLellan (28) has scored more.

“He scored a first-half hat-trick and I went in at half-time and challenged him because he should’ve had about five,” added Feeney. “I actually think he missed two easier chances – the three that he did score were well-taken but he could’ve had a few more.

“We’re hard on Ben because we know how good he is and the levels he can reach, and he’s hard on himself as well – he said that he feels he should’ve scored more this season, and he has the quality to do that and get even closer to the top of the scoring charts in the league.

“But he scored a hat-trick last week and scored another one this week, and that’s still the signs of a striker in form with a lot of quality and he made the difference for us again.

“Ben Cushnie fed him in for the second, he’s a lot of quality as we know as well, and Ben finished well between the goalkeeper’s legs.

“We’ve Spike (Matthew Ferguson) as well and Mick (Morgan), we’re hoping to have him back this week after his injury, so we’ve got a good set of strikers and options who can influence games for us.”