Final Hurrah

COLERAINE will enjoy home comforts for the final time this campaign as Linfield are the visitors to The Showgrounds this evening (KO 7:30pm)…

Danske Bank Premiership

Overview:

Oran Kearney’s men have had a ten day break as they were last in action on May 15 as a header from James McLaughlin sealed all three points against Crusaders at Seaview. The Bannsiders remain in second spot in the table and are assured of European football for the 2021/22 campaign, however, they know they have to win if they are to take the fight for the Gibson Cup to the final day of the season.

Linfield come to The Showgrounds in the hope of landing a double as they lifted the Irish Cup against Larne last Friday night. David Healy’s side were well in control of the game as goals from Shayne Lavery and Joel Cooper earned the Blues their 44th Irish Cup triumph. Linfield are five points clear at the summit and know a point from their last two fixtures will be enough to retain their league title.

Previous Meetings:

This will be the fourth time the two clubs have met this season, with Linfield registering two wins and the other game ending in a draw.

The first was back in November as Linfield banked all three points from their visit to The Showgrounds. A goal in the first-half from Andy Waterworth had the Blues in control, before Jordan Stewart added a second after the break.

The last clash was back in February and it would be prove to be a cagey affair at Windsor Park. In truth, the game only sparked into life in the second-half as Shayne Lavery headed wide from Jordan Stewart’s cross, with Eoin Bradley missing at the other end from close range as the match finished goalless.

In April, two first-half goals from Jordan Stewart would give Linfield a healthy advantage at Windsor Park. However, the game would change on its head as Niall Quinn was dismissed for a second bookable offence. The visitors made a game of it as Curtis Allen halved the deficit but the Bannsiders would also end the game with ten men as Aaron Canning was sent-off for bringing down Christy Manzinga.

Manager’s Thoughts:

“I think around December time we had lost four in a row and were sitting 10th, maybe 18 behind Linfield and 20-odd behind Larne, so to have qualified for Europe with two games to spare is phenomenal,” Kearney said.

“Now that we are guaranteed Europe we are not going into Tuesday night’s game from a cagey point of view. We can just focus on the one game now and try and send it to the final day. That is our sole job, to push it to the final day of the season.

“We have had 10 days [without a match] either side of the Crusaders game which has been helpful. We have been able to get good training sessions in and hopefully it will freshen everyone right up. We also have the added buzz of getting fans back in which will be brilliant.”

Admission:

A total of 500 supporters are allowed to enter the stadium with all tickets SOLD OUT.

However, the match will be streamed live via the BBC Sport NI website and via the Red Button.

As ever, those unable to attend can follow the latest developments via the club’s official Twitter account (@ColeraineFC).