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 were cruelly denied a win at Windsor Park in August 2016…

Date:

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Result:

Linfield 1-1 Coleraine

Goals – Burns (’88 mins); McLaughlin (’49 mins)

Report:

Coleraine had to settle for a point in their first league match of the new season as James McLaughlin’s well taken strike was cancelled out late on by Aaron Burns. The Stripes – who were without Neil McCafferty and David Kee – started the match with Brad Lyons and Lyndon Kane in midfield, with Rodney Brown at left-back.

It took until the 14th minute for the first opportunity to arrive at Windsor Park as Mark Haughey met Kirk Millar’s cross but the defender headed the ball over the crossbar from close range. A minute later, it was the Bannsiders who threatened as Ian Parkhill picked the ball up at the edge of the box but his shot didn’t threaten Roy Carroll in the Linfield goal.

On 19 minutes, a poor clearance from Adam Mullan gifted the ball to Paul Smyth at the edge of the box. The silky striker had a shot on goal but it proved to be an easy catch for Chris Johns. Moments later, the dangerous Ross Gaynor provided a pin-point cross for Andy Waterworth but the attacker’s shot was well saved by Johns.

The Blues were chasing the breakthrough and it almost arrived on 25 minutes as the Bannsiders failed to clear their lines and Jimmy Callacher’s strong run and cross was perfect for Chris Casement but his looping header went wide of the far post. The Blues had one final chance before the interval as a delightful through ball from Gaynor was met by Waterworth but his shot lacked conviction.

Oran Kearney made a half-time change with James McLaughlin coming on for Gary Twigg and it proved to be a
masterstroke as a great cross by Rodney Brown caused confusion in the Linfield area and McLaughlin pounced with a great finish to give the Bannsiders the lead on 49 minutes.

Linfield looked shell shocked but managed to force their first chance since going behind as Gaynor again was the architect as his cross turned into a shot which forced Johns into making a smart save. David Healy brought on Josh Carson, Aaron Burns and Michael McLellan in a bid to get back into the match and both Haughey & Waterworth threatened the Coleraine goal mouth.

However, Linfield managed to get an equaliser on 88 minutes as the Blues were wrongly awarded a corner. The set-piece was delivered into the area in which Aaron Burns was the recipient of Haughey’s flick on. Unfortunately for the Stripes, Lyndon Kane was dismissed for foul language in the aftermath of the goal.

The Stripes thought they had won it in added-time as Jamie McGonigle went on a mesmerising run and his shot cannoned off the post and away to safety as the Stripes secured a share of the spoils at Windsor Park.

Line-ups:

LINFIELD: Carroll, Haughey, Callacher, Waterworth, Lowry (McLellan ’73 mins), Millar (Burns ’60 mins), Casement, Mulgrew, Quinn, Gaynor (Carson ’60 mins), Smyth.

Subs Not Used: M. Clarke, Fallon.

COLERAINE: Johns; Kane, Douglas, McConaghie, Mullan, Lyons, Brown, Parkhill, McCauley; McGonigle, Twigg (McLaughlin ’46 mins).

Subs Not Used: Higgins, Ogilby, Law, Edgar.

Referee:

Keith Kennedy