Down Memory Lane

WITH the on-going help of club historian Hunter McClelland, colerainefc.com brings you the latest instalment of the ‘Down Memory Lane’ series as the Bannsiders collected their first three points of the 2010-11 season against Donegal Celtic…

Date:

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Result:

Coleraine 4-0 Donegal Celtic

Goals – Ogilby (’70 mins & ’83 mins), Brown (’80 mins), Carson (’90 mins)

Ogilby powers home a header against Donegal Celtic.

Report:

IF the drought was ended on Tuesday night, then the floodgates were well and truly opened at today as a rain-drenched Showgrounds celebrated Coleraine’s first league win of the season thanks to four second half goals against Donegal Celtic.

Aside from an early chance for the visitors, McVeigh missing the target with an effort from outside the box, the firsthalf was all Coleraine. Johnny Watt sliced a shot high and wide after he had been put clear down the left by a delightful through pass by Michael Hegarty and David Ogilby, restored to the side after missing the last two games, headed a Gareth Harkin corner over the bar.

Darren Boyce was denied by a defender’s block, while David Scullion was denied a first Coleraine goal by a smart save from Donegal Celtic ‘keeper Declan Brown, and the former Dungannon man was again out of luck before the break, directing a cross towards goal and seeing it blocked on the line.

At the start of the second half Declan Brown flapped at a cross from half time sub Jonny Harkness and Harkin was first to the loose ball, but his effort was deflected behind. Brown headed a Stephen Carson corner wide and Boyce missed the target with an ambitious shot as Coleraine pushed for the breakthrough.

They were almost caught out at the other end on a couple of occasions, as O’Hare made a smart save to deny Thomas Lambe. Fortune continued to smile on Donegal Celtic’s Brown as he spilled another shot, this time from Harkin, but there was no Coleraine player in the vicinity to take advantage.

But at long last, the wait for a league goal was ended on 70 minutes. Coleraine won a corner on the right side and Harkin crossed the ball in and it was David Ogilby who rose highest to nod the ball in. The players sprinted to the bench to celebrate with manager David Platt and the coaching staff, showing the importance of the goal to the club as a whole.

Growing in confidence all the time after the goal, Coleraine added a second on 80 minutes, with Carson finding space down the left and whipping in a low cross, which Boyce left for Brown at the far post, who stooped to head home his first goal in Coleraine colours. Well deserved given the effort he had put in all afternoon and throughout the first few games of the season.

A third goal wasn’t long in arriving and it was almost a mirror image of the first as Coleraine won a corner on the left and Carson swung it in right footed with Ogilby there to head in his second.

Carson then put the icing on the cake himself with the fourth goal in injury time. After a good build-up and several passes inside the penalty area, the winger, who had switched to the right in the final stages, took a couple of touches to find space before slotting the ball home from close range.

Line-ups:

COLERAINE: O’Hare, Beverland, Hegarty, Boyce (McVey ’81 mins), Scullion (Tommons ’87 mins), Carson, Canning, Watt (Harkness ’46 mins), Harkin, Brown, Ogilby.

Subs Not Used: McCormick (GK), Donnell.

DONEGAL CELTIC: Brown, Lamb (McAllister ’82 mins), Spence (Gargan ’82 mins), McAlorum, P McVeigh, Cleary, McNamee (Henderson ’68 mins), A McVeigh, Carville, O’Hara, Hanna.

Subs Not Used: McMenamin, Curran.

Referee:

S Creaney