Derriaghy new boy Black ready to shoot down Willowbank in Steel Cup last eight

In-form Premier Division side have lost just once all season ahead of visit to The Cliff this weekend

Curtis Black moved to Derriaghy over the summer

Curtis Black comes on for his first game back after 16 months out injured for Shankill last December

Curtis Black is out to make up for lost time as he looks to shoot Derriaghy into the semi-finals of the Steel & Sons Cup this weekend.

The Premier Division men hit the road this Saturday to face Willowbank in the last eight at The Cliff, with Black enjoying his best spell in front of goal for some time, with four in his last five following his August switch from Shankill United.

By his own admission, it’s been a while since the 30-year-old forward has enjoyed his football this much after a season-ending ACL tear back in July 2021 sidelined him for 16 months.

Then after finally returning to action last December, he found himself struggling for fitness after such a long lay-off –and in a struggling side as Shankill ended the season in the drop zone.

But with his injury hell finally behind him and his new club challenging on a number of fronts, Black has got the buzz back.

He said: “I’m doing well, I’m fully fit whereas last season, it was stop-start because of my injury.

"But I’ve had a good pre-season, which was down to the Shankill to be fair, and then I went to Derriaghy and I’ve been playing nearly 90 minutes every week which has really helped me, and hopefully that continues.

"So I feel good and sharp at the minute. A good pre-season definitely helps, so hopefully I can stay injury free and keep going and help Derriaghy do the best we can do this season.”

Standing in their way is Willowbank, a fast-emerging force in the Amateur League. Yet with all eight