Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
HOME IS HEART IS
Boss Baxter would love a huge win at Seaview and has his sights set on league’s basement side Mallards
CRUSADERS boss Stephen Baxter is plotting a home run after throwing Linfield a curve ball in Monday night’s Sky Sports showdown at Windsor Park.
The Shore Road men made it maximum points from five away games in the Danske Bank Premiership with their stunning 5-2 win in South Belfast.
But while the Crues have been rampant on their travels – scoring 19 goals in those five outings – they have struggled for momentum at home.
In six league fixtures at Seaview, they have recorded just two wins, two draws and two defeats – including a 3-2 loss to Glenavon in their last home league game a fortnight ago.
Needless to say, Baxter is eager to take Monday’s blue chip display against the champions into tonight’s clash with Ballinamallard United in North Belfast.
He said: “Some results haven’t gone the way we would have liked at home but, to be fair, we have been playing exceptionally well there in the last few weeks.
“We have been creating a lot of chances and that’s why I’m not too anxious. We know Ballinamallard will be well organised and will come to Seaview and dig in.
“I have every respect for Gavin Dykes and his team. They got a good win over Carrick last Saturday so they’ll be buoyed by that. It’s a tough game.”
A win would draw the Crues level on points with second-placed Glenavon and five off leaders Coleraine who face Glentoran at the Showgrounds tomorrow.
Baxter said: “We can’t get caught up in all of that. All we can do is prepare for games of football and try to win those games and build on that.
“There are 27 games still to play, so we’ll look towards Christmas and the New Year and see where we are come that stage of the season.”
While Crusaders were impressive in their 5-2 win over David Healy’s Blues, Baxter isn’t reading anything into the Windsor walloping.
He said: “While it’s great to score five goals at the home of the champions, it’s still only three points. Five goals don’t mean an awful lot more.
“We also didn’t destroy Linfield. It was a very close scoreline and a top performance by both teams. When Linfield got it back to 3-2, they were dominant, but our big players stood up.
“I thought Colin Coates and Howard Beverland defended resolutely and you need those players to rise to the challenge. We found our rhythm again, started to drive at them again and scored the goals that saw the game through.”
Ballinamallard head to Seaview on the back of a morale lifting 2-0 win over Carrick Rangers – the Fermanagh club’s first league victory of the season.