Irish League star delighted to mark 'biggest game of my career' with season-defining goal

After scoring 11 times in 21 Championship appearances for Ballyclare Comrades, the ex-Cliftonville youngster was acquired by Jim Ervin in January as he looked to keep the Sky Blues in the Irish League’s top-flight.

The 22-year-old would make a significant impact, netting three times in Ballymena’s final five matches of the season, grabbing a maiden club goal as they secured a play-off by beating Glenavon 1-0 and again in their 4-0 triumph over Newry City four days later, but certainly saved his best for last.

Coming off the bench as a late substitute with their two-legged tie against Institute level at 1-1 – ‘Stute had won the first-leg 1-0 – the young striker popped up to score what ultimately proved to be the goal that kept Ballymena up and McCurry admits he’s loved every minute of fulfilling his Premiership dream.

"It couldn't have ended in a better way with scoring the late goal - you couldn't write it,” he said. “It was the biggest game of my career so far and to impact it the way I did was great.

"It (top-flight experience) was unbelievable...my first start was away against Linfield in the Irish Cup. Jim and the backroom staff didn't ever put pressure on me when I came in - they didn't say 'you're here to score goals' or 'you have to score'.

"They told me to go out and enjoy myself and I felt like I played well that day, I just enjoyed it so much. I loved that stage, playing at Windsor Park in the Irish Cup.

"You're pinching yourself being there and then it's about showing what you can do. Playing in those games makes the move worth it and this is where I want to be."

Having last played in the top-flight just over four years ago as a teenager breaking through the ranks at Solitude, McCurry has put the work in to get back to this stage, racking up more than 80 appearances – and 30 goals – in the Championship since.

He also knows it was a risk for Ballymena to bring him in at such a crucial stage of the season, but the ex-Ards loanee will forever be grateful for the trust put in him by Ervin and was thrilled to repay his faith.

“You could say he took a gamble in signing me,” he added. “I was scoring goals in the Championship, but it's a massive leap and people probably wonder if you can do it in the Premiership.

"The situation that Ballymena were in, they can't really make a mistake in recruitment because if they got it wrong then the club can end up in the Championship and that's the last thing the club wanted.

"He took a gamble and I did want to pay it back to him...there were a few games where I didn't score but he was pleased with my performances against the top-six teams.

"When I scored my first goal against Glenavon he was so happy for me and came over and told me how much I deserved it, but that it was time to kick on.

"When it was time for me to go on in the second-leg he wasn't putting pressure on me to score, all he said was 'work your socks off' and that's all he asked from me.

"He was quietly confident that I could make an impact because he didn't even talk about scoring...he knew what I needed to do. It was massive to try and pay back his faith in me."