Earn your reputations – OK

COLERAINE boss Oran Kearney is relishing another big night in the Danske Bank Premiership as he takes his troops to The Oval this evening (KO 7:45pm)…

Danske Bank Premiership

Overview:

The Bannsiders moved up to second spot in the Danske Bank Premiership table last weekend as a brace of penalties from Ben Doherty was enough to see off the challenge of Cliftonville at The Showgrounds. It marked a successful start to the post-split fixtures as Coleraine now have four games left until the end of the campaign.

It was Glentoran that Coleraine leapfrogged into second spot after the Glens drew 0-0 with Linfield at The Oval. After the Blues edged the first-half, the East Belfast side would miss a glorious chance to take all three points as Chris Johns saved a Robbie McDaid penalty. Mick McDermott’s men are also in Irish Cup duty this weekend as they face Cliftonville in the second round of the competition.

Previous Meetings:

Tonight’s clash will be the fourth meeting between the two clubs this season and the third within a matter of weeks. The first was back in October as goals from Stephen O’Donnell and Ben Doherty had the Stripes two goals to the good, before Jay Donnelly headed in to set-up a grandstand finish but the Bannsiders held firm for a 2-1 success at The Showgrounds.

In April, Coleraine made their way to The Oval and fell behind inside 10 minutes as Jay Donnelly blasted into the bottom corner. However, after surviving a sustained period of pressure, Coleraine turned the game on its head to lead through a Matthew Shevlin double. Just when it looked like the Bannsiders would leave with all three points, they conceded an unfortunate own goal as the game finished in a 2-2 draw.

Remarkably, the two clubs would meet three days later at The Showgrounds and once again the Glens would strike first as Robbie McDaid lashed home from Ciaran O’Connor’s strong run. Oran Kearney’s men would earn a share of the spoils as Matthew Shevlin was on hand to convert from Ben Doherty’s inviting cross.

Manager’s Thoughts:

“I don’t think us moving ahead of Glentoran changes anything ahead of Tuesday night,” Kearney said.

“Saturday was about getting the business done and put a bit of distance on the teams behind us, whilst keeping tabs on those above us.

“We have done that and that’s all that we can do.

“Tuesday night will take care of itself and it’s up to us to recharge the batteries and get ready for it.

“The two games last month were really tough.

“We know that Tuesday night is going to be no different so we have to get ready for another big effort.

“This is why you want to be involved in it and you keep encouraging the players that this is where they’ll get reputations and earn the right to call themselves a good Irish League player.”

Admission:

Supporters are not permitted inside the stadium due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

However, the match will be streamed live via the 247.tv platform HERE

A full list of stream instructions can be read HERE