Down Memory Lane

JOHNNY Black sent the Coleraine faithful into raptures as he fired in a last minute winner to send the Bannsiders through to the League Cup final in 2011…

Date:

Tuesday, December 11, 2011

Result:

Cliftonville 1-2 Coleraine

Goals – Tommons (10 mins), Black (119 mins); M Donnelly (71 mins)

Tommons wheels away in celebration after netting the opener.

Report:

COLERAINE will contest the final of the IRN-BRU League Cup against Crusaders after Johnny Black’s last-gasp extra time winner saw them defeat Cliftonville at Solitude.

Oran Kearney set out his stall to attack from the start, naming Shane Jennings in attack alongside Curtis Allen and Leon Knight, but it was Cliftonville who had the first clear opening of the game, with their rising star Rory Donnelly sending a shot just past the post.

A strong swirling wind made conditions difficult for football, but largely favoured the side attacking the home stand end, which in the first half was Coleraine. Jennings shot over early on before Gareth Tommons fired them into the lead.

Picking the ball up on the edge of the area, he hit a curling right foot shot which clipped off the post and into the net via a deflection off Cliftonville goalkeeper John Connolly.

Johnny Black missed the target with an ambitious free kick as he tried to work the wind to his advantage, while Donnelly missed the target with a header at the other end. Allen was then off-target as he flicked Knight’s knockdown wide.

As the second half began, David Ogilby made a goalline clearance from another Donnelly header and Michael Doherty saved from Martin Donnelly before the rebound was fired over the bar. Controversy raged as Barry Holland’s shot clipped the post and hit Stephen Lowry on the waist, but the linesman flagged and after lengthy consultation, ref Arnold Hunter awarded a penalty.

From the spot, Martin Donnelly sent the ball down the middle of the goal and Cliftonville were level. Momentum was now clearly with the home side, looking to extend their 14 match winning streak and Martin Donnelly hit the bar with a speculative shot and it took a superb challenge from Ogilby to deny substitute Joe Gormley a shot at an open goal.

Coleraine had their own chance to win it at the death as Ryan McIlmoyle slipped the ball through to Allen, but Connolly beat the Coleraine striker in the race to the ball. The game moved into extra time and Coleraine dug deep to find new reserves of strength and energy to once again get on top of the contest.

Lowry shot wide, while Tommons took the ball down intelligently and turned before shooting straight at Connolly. Tommons was also denied what looked like a stonewall penalty when he was brought down inside the box as he moved in on goal.

The second half saw Coleraine continue to press, but the game looked destined for a penalty shootout until with one minute remaining, Black picked up the ball midway inside the Cliftonville half, took the ball past a couple of defenders before shooting and placing the ball beyond Connolly and into the net, via the post to unleash pandemonium in the stand behind the goal and book Coleraine’s place in the January 28 decider.

Line-ups:

CLIFTONVILLE: Connolly, Johnston (Garrett ’62 mins), Holland, Donaghy, McMullan (Caldwell ’90 mins), C Scannell (Gormley ’82 mins), M Donnelly, Smyth, R Donnelly, Catney, McVeigh.

Sub not used: Bradley, Stuart.

COLERAINE: M Doherty; Canning, Beverland, Ogilby, Black; Tommons, Lowry, McIlmoyle; Knight, Jennings (McCauley ’61 mins), Allen.

Subs Not Used: Cullen, McNulty, Watt, Clarke.

Referee:

Arnold Hunter