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2019-20 Season Review: March

COLERAINE would record back-to-back wins against Glenavon and Ballymena United in March before the football season was suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak…

Stewart Nixon celebrates after grabbing his first Coleraine goal.

The Bannsiders carried their strong form from February into March as they welcomed Glenavon to The Showgrounds. The hosts made a bright start to proceedings and threatened after five minutes when James McLaughlin fired over the crossbar after being found by Lyndon Kane, before Glenavon stopper Jonathan Tuffey was called into action to deny Stewart Nixon. However, the deadlock was broken on 12 minutes as McLaughlin released his strike partner Nixon who calmly slotted past Tuffey for his first goal since arriving in the January transfer window. The visitors will feel they should have levelled on 25 minutes as Conor McCloskey’s cross found Jordan Jenkins inside the box but he failed to convert from close range. Coleraine would grab a deserved second on 34 minutes as McLaughlin was found by Nixon and he finished with aplomb for his third goal in four matches, with the goalkeeping efforts of Tuffey denying the aforementioned pair further goals before the break. The Stripes should have secured all three points on 54 minutes as Nixon was unable to convert on the goal line from Aaron Jarvis’ knock down, before Glenavon set-up a grandstand finish as Conor McCloskey fired in a free-kick from 20 yards out.

Coleraine players celebrate Stephen Lowry’s opener against Ballymena United.

Four days later, Coleraine would be on their travels for a derby day fixture against Ballymena United. The visitors took the lead on ten minutes from the penalty spot after Eoin Bradley was upended in the box by Scot Whiteside. The ball was grabbed by Stephen Lowry who calmly rolled the ball into the net for his seventh goal of the season. The Stripes would have further chances before the half hour mark as James McLaughlin failed to hit the target twice, with Eoin Bradley also firing a free-kick over the crossbar. After Bradley had a goal disallowed for offside, the home side should have equalised as Joe McCready fired over the crossbar from close range. Coleraine had a scare at the start of the second-half as Lyndon Kane had to hook McCready’s shot off the line, but settled back into the contest as Aaron Canning, Aaron Traynor and Stewart Nixon all had efforts saved by Ross Glendinning. However, all three points were secured on 72 minutes as Josh Carson’s floating corner kick was headed into the net by Aaron Canning, who was celebrating his 28th birthday.

However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Irish Football Association released a statement saying that football at across all levels would be postponed until at least April 4, meaning that the Bannsiders’ fixtures against Dungannon Swifts, Larne and Ballymena United were all postponed.

No football for a while due to the coronavirus outbreak.