Mid-Ulster League outfit hoping Premier Cup success can help push club on in ultimate pursuit of Irish League status

Bingham previously served as Crewe’s Director of Football but has taken over as boss following Barry Baggley’s departure to Championship outfit Ballyclare Comrades and his first game in charge will be Saturday’s showpiece decider against Banbridge Rangers at Iveagh Park (6pm kick-off).

Crewe, who currently sit sixth in MUFL Intermediate A, defeated Tandragee Rovers and Richhill on route to the final and will face a Banbridge side that are fresh off enjoying the biggest day in their club’s history after losing out to reigning Irish Cup champions Cliftonville at Solitude last weekend.

Oxford Sunnyside are the most recent team to make the successful transition from Mid-Ulster football into the Irish League pyramid, winning four of their opening nine Premier Intermediate League matches after sealing promotion last term, while Ballymacash Rangers are another shining example for Crewe, coming within a play-off of reaching the Championship two years ago.

"We were really competitive under Eamon McCarthy and really unlucky not to win the league and get promoted,” Bingham told the club’s media channel. “The ambition for us is to get into the NIFL pyramid.

"The last two years have been tricky...in the background we've made a couple of tough decisions in changing managers and there has been a huge attrition of players, but the recruitment has been really good this season and we are optimistic.

"Our ambition for this season is undoubtedly to push through the league. I see this (Premier Cup final) as a huge opportunity to build momentum and go on and be successful this season.

"What we were careful not to do, there are so many moving parts in this level of football and I said to some players that you need to have the right recipe to go and be successful. We were careful not to say 'we absolutely have to win the league' but that's our ambition.

"The five-year plan for us is to be in NIFL and sustaining and doing well in it."

Former Lisburn Distillery midfielder Fra McGuinness was the last Crewe captain to lift silverware following Marshall Cup success in 2017 and after returning to the Glenavy club ahead of this season is determined to play his part in more glory.

"I was here for four or five years...I didn’t know where the club was or what it was about and then I came up and completely fell in love with it,” he said. “At that stage it was the makings of a new team.

"We’d put together a core unit and won a trophy for the first time in 36 years. Being based on the outskirts of Belfast and Lisburn it could be hard to attract players, but players from all around the country are coming to play here now, which is praise in itself.

"Winning this trophy isn’t the end goal – this is hopefully just a tick in the box. We’ll be looking at the next thing after this and that’s about getting up the leagues.

"We want this trophy and we’re hungry for it, but it won’t stop us if we win it or not – we’ll be onto the next thing and that’s what it boils down to.”