Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
...but Baxter insists Crues will be fierce in pursuit of more big game glory
CRUSADERS boss Stephen Baxter once helped fire the Seaview club to Gibson Cup glory at the Ballymena Showgrounds as a player – now he wants to repeat the feat as a manager.
Baxter was a goalscorer when the Crues secured the league title under Roy Walker with a memorable 2-0 win at the Warden Street venue in April 1995.
And 23 years later, the former penalty box predator will be prowling the technical area as the North Belfast club chases local football’s greatest prize for a seventh time in its history. “I have very fond memories of that day at Ballymena in 1995,” recalled Baxter. “Both Glenn Hunter and myself were on the scoresheet and it was a marvellous experience. “I think my goal was a half-volley at the near post. It’s a huge personal memory but now we have the chance to chase down another title at Ballymena. It’s a huge incentive for the club.”
Level on points with Coleraine but top of the table thanks to a far superior goal difference, the Crues only have to mirror the Bannmen’s result at Glenavon to seal the deal.
Win and there is nothing Oran Kearney’s men can do. Baxter said: “It’s in our hands and I’m glad we’re in that position.
“Last year we were trailing Linfield by two points on the final day and there was nothing we could do. “I remember standing on the sidelines at Seaview when we beat Glenavon 6-1 but Linfield were also winning at Cliftonville. When it’s out of your control, there’s nothing you can do. “My view is, we have to go to Ballymena and win – simple as. If we do that, we win the league. We know what we have to do and we’ll only have ourselves to blame if we don’t.
“We will give it everything we have and empty the tank in an effort to get over the line.”
Baxter believes the local football public has been treated to a “phenomenal” title race and potentially the first to be decided on goal difference since 1993 when he was a Linfield player.
He said: “To have two teams level on points with one game to play is wonderful for the neutrals and media.
“Not so great for me when I’m up at 4am worrying about team selection and so on.
“A team [Crusaders] that scores more than 100 goals should win it but equally a team [Coleraine] that has lost just one league game so far should win it. It has been a phenomenal race.”
On the prospect of celebrating a third title in four years – the Crues also lifted the Gibson in 2015 and 2016 – Baxter said: “No one is prouder of this team than me and the workrate and quality it has shown.
“It would be a big achievement but football is a funny old game. Anything could happen.”