2020-21 Season Review: March

COLERAINE would extend their unbeaten run to seventeen matches until losing to Cliftonville as March saw the Bannsiders in action seven times…

Coleraine would start the month with the visit of Portadown to The Showgrounds. After making a bright start, the Bannsiders would be awarded a dubious penalty on 16 minutes as Greg Hall was adjudged to have handled inside the area. Ben Doherty took full advantage to clinically despatch the spot kick. Having waited until the 19th minute for their first attempt on goal from Adam Salley, the visitors put the Bannsiders under pressure and created several good opportunities. Lee Bonis should have done better after 22 minutes but was off target. He then tested Gareth Deane from long range after 34 minutes. The ‘keeper was unable to hold his shot but with the goal at his mercy Salley somehow bundled the ball past the post. It was Bradley who helped Coleraine secure the points ten minutes from time when he was pulled back by Hall inside the box. Unlike the first penalty, there was no doubt about this decision…nor the end result as Doherty again made no mistake as Coleraine ran out 2-0 victors.

Next up would be Stangmore Park as Coleraine aimed to avoid a repeat of their defeat at the venue back in December. In what would prove to be an entertaining affair in County Tyrone, Oran Kearney’s men would edge out the Swifts who appointed Dean Shiels as manager. After Roy Carroll made some smart stops, the former Northern Ireland international was given no chance as the visitors took the lead on 18 minutes. Allen dispossessed Oisin Smyth and fed Jamie Glackin who arrowed a shot from outside the box into the roof of the net. Despite posing little threat, the Swifts stunned Coleraine with an equaliser three minutes before half time. Who else but ex Bannsider Rory Patterson nipped in ahead of Lyndon Kane to head home Smyth’s cross. A controversial penalty on 50 minutes put Coleraine back in front. Carroll clearly punched the ball before following through to connect with Allen but referee Keith Kennedy awarded a spot kick and up stepped the assured Doherty to convert. Dungannon, watched by newly appointed manager Dean Shiels, hit back in style after 54 minutes. This time Dougie Wilson got in on the act on an afternoon of spectacular strikes by bending a 25 yard free kick beyond Gareth Deane. Smyth was then sent off after 62 minutes for a lunge on Evan Tweed. And Oran Kearney’s men made the advantage count as they regained the lead with the goal of the game. Bradley fed Glackin who rolled the ball into the path of Doherty’s and his 76th minute strike from outside the area flew past the helpless Carroll.

The BBC Sport cameras would roll into town as the Stripes faced Crusaders at The Showgrounds. Both teams were content to test each other out for the majority of an evenly contested first half. As a result, it was a fairly scrappy dual between the teams sitting second and third in the table, with few opportunities. However, with just sixty seconds of the opening period remaining, Matthew Shevlin nipped in ahead of Robbie Weir to plant a header from Lowry’s superb cross beyond Tuffey into the corner of the net for his first goal for the club. The Crues looked to hit back immediately after the restart through McGonigle. He cut inside Ben Doherty after a neat cutback and then curled a delightful effort inches over the bar. But it was the Bannsiders who enjoyed a period of sustained pressure. Aaron Jarvis wasn’t far away with a 51st minute pile-driver, but he was bang on the mark after 56 minutes as Coleraine doubled their lead. Jamie Glackin’s cross was punched clear by Tuffey but Jarvis was on hand to drill the ball home from just outside the box for his second goal of the season.

The Bannsiders would be home yet again as Carrick Rangers made the trip to the North Coast  Oran Kearney’s troops stretched their unbeaten run to 16 matches but it was a nervy affair only settled by a crucial late winner. It took a goal-line clearance from Steven Gordon to deny the home side a 10th minute lead as he somehow hooked James McLaughlin’s drilled low cross over the top. The second half followed a similar pattern with Coleraine struggling to find the spark to unlock their well disciplined opponents. They looked to have a strong case for a penalty on 68 minutes – moments after Daniel Kelly tried his luck from Kyle Cherry’s lay off – when Jamie Glackin appeared to be brought down inside the box but the appeals were waved aside. With the tension mounting, Coleraine finally broke the deadlock from an unlikely source inside the final quarter of an hour. It was Aaron Canning who smashed home the winner in the 76th minute following a goalmouth scramble after skipper Stephen O’Donnell’s header rebounded off the crossbar.

The schedule showed no sign of letting up as Oran Kearney took his troops to Lurgan to face Glenavon. The Lurgan Blues shaded possession in a first half lacking any real fluency but Coleraine looked dangerous on the break. Only the outstretched boot of ‘keeper Craig Hyland prevented Josh Carson from breaking the deadlock with his well struck 22nd minute drive well blocked. Glenavon finished the half strongly, forcing a series of corners and it took a great clearance from Jamie Glackin to send the team in at the break on level terms. It was the home side who drew first blood just seven minutes into the second half. Peter Campbell knocked on Conor McCloskeys’ cross and Matthew Fitzpatrick made no mistake from close range. But this Coleraine team refuses to accept defeat and they hit back to make it eight games without defeat against Gary Hamilton’s side. There appeared little danger when the ball fell to Lowry outside the area but his well struck 76th minute drive flew past Hyland with the aid of a deflection. Coleraine went all out for a winner and substitute James McLaughlin had a chance when released by Lyndon Kane on 82 minutes but Hyland got a vital touch to steer the ball for a corner as the match finished even.

The seventeen match unbeaten run would sadly come to an end when Coleraine made the visit to Solitude. With just two minutes of the first half remaining, Cliftonville drew first blood. Aaron Donnelly’s long range cross was inch perfect and Jaimie Harney ran in at the back post to steer a header into the roof of the net. Coleraine had a great chance to level on the hour mark when Ben Doherty’s free kick picked out Stephen O’Donnell who could only head the ball straight at Aaron McCarey from close range. And Cliftonville took full advantage by doubling their advantage two minutes later. Ryan O’Reilly nodded Rory Hale’s corner into the danger area and Paul O’Neill reacted quickest to turn and fire home despite Carson’s attempts to clear. The visitors were handed a path back into the contest when Harney clipped Bradley inside the box and Doherty lashed home a 67th minute penalty. But with a quarter of an hour remaining, Bradley’s day came to a premature end when he was sent off. Aaron Canning almost salvaged an unlikely point deep in injury time but he drilled a shot narrowly wide from a tight angle.

Oran Kearney’s men were seeking to end the month on a high as they welcomed the challenge of Larne to The Showgrounds. After Ben Doherty struck the crossbar on 23 minutes, the Bannsiders edged ahead a minute later as Ronan Wilson delivered an inviting cross into the box and Curtis Allen rose to head home. Larne responded to the setback well and they were denied a 32nd minute equaliser when Ronan Hale got in behind the defence too easily but his lob struck the post. James McLaughlin replaced Ben Doherty at half time and within 30 seconds the striker made his mark! Jamie Glackin was the provider and McLaughlin showed both composure and class to slot the ball past Devlin. The 2-0 win marked the perfect response.