Loughgall boss Dean Smith hails 'super' Nathaniel Ferris as striker helps secure victory over Ballymena United

The Villagers have now won three of their last four Premiership matches – a narrow 2-1 defeat to leaders Linfield is the only blip in that run – while they leapfrogged Carrick Rangers into seventh as the race for a European play-off berth heats up.

Smith’s men have undoubtedly been the success story of this season so far with Saturday’s triumph at the Showgrounds their ninth league success of the campaign.

Ferris’ 62nd minute header from Pablo Andrade’s cross marked the 25-year-old’s eighth Premiership goal of this term and Smith, a striker during his own playing days, was full of praise for the forward.

"I thought Nathaniel was super today, he led the line really well, he was strong, he brought people into play,” he said on BBC Sportsound. "It was a real centre-forward performance and his goal just summed up his performance.

"His movement prior to the goal is super - he makes a run to the back post, changes and goes to the front post. It's a great ball from Pablo and he gets first to head it in (before the defender) and guides it into net.”

With sixth-placed Coleraine sitting just one point ahead of Loughgall, who have a game in hand to play against Newry City after a postponement earlier this month, Smith’s side have plenty to play for.

They’ll also be in Irish Cup sixth round action next weekend against Cliftonville, but the Villagers aren’t looking too far ahead.

"We'd have taken any win at the start of the year but, look, it's one game at a time for us,” he added. “"We try not to get carried away with one game, that's all it is.

"It's a crazy league - one win you can move up two or three places and one defeat you can move down two or three places. We're delighted where we are and we want to keep pushing forward.

"We'd love a cup run...we know it's tough. Cliftonville are a fantastic team with fantastic players and we know it's going to be a tough game, but we'll go there and give it our best shot."