DERBY FEVER: Page 44

JORDAN Owens has warned Crusaders’ Danske Bank Premiership rivals against ruling the champions out of the title race.

A disappointing start to the season has left the Crues nine points behind leaders Glenavon and defeat in the north Belfast derby at home to Cliftonville on Friday night will see alarm bells ringing even louder.

But Stephen Baxter’s side go into the clash — the first Premiership fixture televised live on the BBC — lifted by a badly needed 4-1 victory over Institute at the Brandywell.

“I think we can count ourselves a bit lucky,” said Owens (right). “When we lost other teams didn’t always win and that nine points gap could be 12 or 15.

“Come Christmas time, you don’t want to be nine points behind teams and that’s when there’s a danger you could drift away.

“Hopefully we put together a run of wins now and there’s a long way to go so we can still get ourselves back in contention.

“There’s still four or five teams in with a shout. It’s nice to have a nine points lead over the champions but there is still a long way to go and the picture can change.”

Four wins from their opening nine league fixtures led to the players’ hunger and desire being questioned but Owens says the club is there to be shot down after winning three championships in four seasons. “It’s been tough, you can put it down to last season’s success of winning the league and County Antrim Shield and everyone expects us to do as well,” he added.

“Football doesn’t work like that, teams try harder against us but Saturday’s win over Institute was just a confidence boost we needed.”