CRUSADERS’ Sean O’Neill says if the champions win their next five games they will win the league “by a country mile.”
The Shore Road men are now six points clear of Coleraine following their hard-fought 3-2 home win against Ballymena United on Saturday.
Jordan Owens opened the scoring for the Crues and a Dwayne Nelson own goal made it two before half-time.
Matthew Tipton made it 2-1 three minutes into the second period before a Billy Joe Burns penalty re-opened the two goal cushion.
And although Tipton closed the gap again on 63, Stephen Baxter’s men held on to claim another three points.
“It was a good win, we are doing well at the minute – we are firing on all cylinders,” declared O’Neill.
“I feel if we can win every game from now until we play Linfield in January, I don’t think anyone will stop us, I really don’t.
“If we can win the next five games, we’ll win the league and we’ll win it by a country mile. We will win it by over 10 points.
“We are in the form of our lives. Are we the best team in the league? I believe so. I’m sure all the pundits and everyone else is saying the same. It’s whether we can keep up the form that we’re in.”
The next five games are Dungannon Swifts away, Carrick Rangers away, home to Coleraine, home to Cliftonville on St Stephen’s Day and then away to Linfield on New Year’s Day.
Considering that at this stage last year, Crusaders were 12 points behind Portadown and eventually won the league by 10 points, it is not hard to see why O’Neill is so bullish.
“There are tough games there,” he continued.
“Coleraine are on a bit of a mission at the minute – they are playing out of their skins but they’ve got a tough month coming up where they come to ourselves, Cliftonville, Linfield and Ballymena.
“To be fair to Coleraine – no-one’s talking about them but if I’m honest – do they have the experience to win the Irish League?
“I would question that, I really don’t think so. Oran Kearney has put a good squad together but I don’t think they are going to win the league.
“I’d be worried about Cliftonville and Linfield. Cliftonville are a good side and if they win their game in hand, they are five points behind us. And if they beat us on Boxing Day, it’s two.
“It makes it interesting but obviously we are very confident.”
Saturday’s win was a real battle in awful conditions and O’Neill feels that, as well as they are currently playing, there is another level in the north Belfast men.
“We are capable of greater things than we are producing at the minute,” he said.
“I don’t think we are playing to our best and we’re top of the Irish League. At half-time, we should have been four or five up.
“Ballymena came back and caused us problems but we are happy with the three points and if we had won 9-8 on Saturday, it wouldn’t make a difference at the end of the season.”
Elsewhere on Saturday, Warrenpoint Town fell to a 12th straight league defeat as they were hammered 5-1 by Dungannon Swifts. Daniel Hughes put Town in front before Paul McElroy levelled. An Aaron Shanahan own goal made it 2-1 and McElroy, Andrew Mitchell and Cormac Burke completed the rout.
Coleraine are now unbeaten in 11 matches following their first ever win at Ferney Park on Friday night. Ian Parkhill opened the scoring on 30, United levelled on 57 with an Adam Leckey header but Rodney Brown wrapped up the points on 84 with a fine strike.
There was a first win for new Glentoran boss Alan Kernaghan as they beat Glenavon 2-0 at the Oval.
Jonathan Smith scored the first goal after 33 minute and Stephen Gordon’s deflected shot doubled the advantage and claimed the points.
Linfield suffered their fourth successive league defeat under David Healy as Portadown beat them 2-0 at Shamrock Park. Chris Casement scored the opening goal on 55 minutes and Marcio Soares made it 2-0 very late on.
