POST-MATCH VERDICT: 'This is our identity' - Declan Caddell delight at young Crusaders squad's exciting progress
Adam Brooks and Lloyd Anderson each found the net as Crusaders left Lurgan with an assured and exciting 2-0 victory over Glenavon.
Here’s the verdict of Crusaders boss Declan Caddell:
OVERALL PERFORMANCE...
"Well-deserved over the 90 minutes...I think both teams took a wee while to settle into the game.
"We grew into the first half and a great finish by Adam Brooks to give us the lead.
"The second half started to turn into a basketball match.
"The disappointing thing for me is we should've been two or three up before Glenavon had their first real opportunity...and that's always going to happen.
"But credit to the players, Jonny Tuffey (goalkeeper) and the defenders put their bodies on the line to keep it out, some last-ditch defending.
"That's always a risk you run in this league (not making the most of strong spells) when we've been on top in games, dominated and not taken them.
"When you see chances go begging you always run that risk of conceding one.
"But we managed to dig in, get our two goals and after that I felt our shape was really good and Glenavon didn't really threaten us.
"It's two goals, three points and a clean sheet.
"No injuries for a change!"
STYLE OF PLAY...
"We've been working on it from the start of the season...probably the last two or three weeks you're starting to see wee things come together.
"We were really good on the counter today...every time we went forward we looked like we were going to score.
"There were loads of really good passages of play today that ultimately didn't end in a goal.
"But that was one (2-0)...the build-up was brilliant, we got a cross, it was block on the line, I don't whether it was hand or not but credit to Lloyd Anderson.
"He's been training all week with an injury, he declared himself fit today, put in a monumental performance and weighed in with the second goal.”
YOUNG SQUAD...
"You look at the team today and we started with three 17-year-olds.
"Josh Willamson, once again, was probably my 'man of the match'.
"Oli McCart...that's his league debut and didn't put a foot wrong.
"Then Ryan Donnelly.
"You look at the bench? The reserve team, that's who I had available.
"We've 10 injuries at the minute so light on numbers, very light.
"That's probably the icing on the cake for me - when you're trying to prepare all week and put a team together with the injuries you have – when the young lads put in a performance like that.
“They're exciting.”
PROGRESS...
"Probably at the start of the season there were a load of question marks but I've brought these players in to play a certain way.
"Quality players with pace and energy, tactically really, really good.
"So it's just about giving that belief to the players that this is the way we want to play, this is our identity, this is the route we're going down.
"To be fair, the past month they've really built into it, stuck to the principles and all confident.
"They all want the ball, to play with that smile on your face, free-flowing football.
"That's what I want to see, what the players want to play in and what I want to see.
"It hasn't been easy, it's taken a wee while and we're still baby steps into it...I'm hoping it'll still improve.
"I inherited the squad that Stephen (Baxter) had, brilliant players but an older squad.
"Players are used to a certain tradition, how to play and what to expect in training.
"It takes a wee while to dwindle that away, transfer windows allow you to do it.
"I'm gifted to have the senior boys I have at the minute, they're buying into it and pushing all the way and the younger lads forward.
"You're always striving to improve.
"When you get a performance like that and things come together it makes you proud...not for me but for the players, they're the most important.
"That's managing the game and I rely heavily obviously from the coaching on the sidelines but the experienced boys...Johnny Tuffey, Jarlath O'Rourke and Lloyd Anderson were probably the boys over 24 today.
"When you get that foothold in the game it's game management and sometimes with young, enthusiastic players that can go amiss.
"But once we got the two goals we managed the game really well."