Premiership play-off pressure 'about boys becoming men' for Declan Caddell

Aaron Rogers and Lee Upton left Championship runners-up Annagh in a position of power heading towards half-time at Tandragee Road in the Premiership promotion/relegation play-off first leg.

However, Elliot Dunlop’s finish in the closing minutes before the interval left Crues with a lifeline and the scorer turned provider for Fraser Bryden to leave the game level after the break – with substitute Thomas Maguire on target for 3-2 before Friday’s second leg in Belfast.

With the Crues having managed to avoid automatic relegation on the penultimate weekend of the senior schedule, now the 40th game of the gruelling league campaign comes down to protecting the upper hand at home in pursuit of preservation over a drop to the lower division.

"The first 45 minutes, to be honest, I thought were absolutely shocking...nowhere near it,” said Caddell. "Half-time (team talk) would have been exactly the same (at 2-0 or 2-1)...I always say the importance of a performance and the result usually comes.

"But I don't get that performance...a lot of words were said at half-time, put it that way.

"But, thankfully, they came out a different side.

"Watch as many videos as you can but until you actually get down here and experience it...credit to Annagh, they threw everything at us.

"We've talked about it for a couple of weeks...it's mentality and attitude when you come to games like this."

The loss to in-game injury of both Cameron Bruce and leading goalscorer Bryden added to Caddell’s woes in a matchday squad already without some key experience.

“Tonight could have been the first time all season that I thought we weren't good...earlier in the season, the players would have folded,” said Caddell. “Now a quick turnaround...an opportunity for other players to stand up.

“It's about boys becoming men and standing up and taking the game to them.

"No more excuses...we've had a look at them, all we can do is prepare as best we can.”

Annagh boss Ciaran McGurgan will regroup a squad delighted with the midweek start but disappointed at the finish.

"We felt really positive coming into the game and you could see the way we started, 2-0 up and cruising,” he said, now in charge of a fourth play-off towards the dream of top-flight football. "We were in such control of the game, there was just a lapse of a moment...we got caught and got punished.

"We dust ourselves down and we go again...we're just going to take as many positives as we can.

"The goal before half-time just changes the game...it gave them a bit of belief, we talked so much about game-management and just didn't manage it.

"And then the second half they equalised and, to be honest, I would have been happy enough at 2-2.

"But the third goal is just so disappointing...an error, one of those things.

"But I felt the boys did take away a lot of positives.”

Although carrying an advantage into the second-leg, Caddell is clear the job isn’t finished yet for the Crues.

"It's only half-time...even when 2-0 down we would still say another game to come,” said Caddell. "A lot of lessons and we'll move on to Friday...it's not over.

"The players have arrived, attitude completely wrong the first 45 minutes and they get a wake-up call...bottom line.

"The second half, we came out, we looked hungry and we found a way.

"Seaview's going to be a good game come Friday."

McGurgan is facing his fourth attempt at getting Annagh past senior opposition.

"We're only one goal down at half-time...we've got 90 minutes to fix it so we'll go again,” he said. "I think adrenaline and the magnitude of the game should get a lot of boys through it.

"They still have the belief that we can go and get a result at Crusaders.

"There was nothing in the game, really...if anything, we punished ourselves.

"We'll just need to stay positive and we go in 1-0 down at half-time."