COLERAINE reached the final of the North-West Senior Cup after an extra-time win against Moyola Park…
The Bannsiders named five first team players in their starting eleven with the rest of the squad being filled from the club’s talented U20 side.
On a crisp evening at Mill Meadow, the opening exchanges would see both teams having half chances sail wide as James McLaughlin had a sight of goal at one end, with Adam Gray also failing to find the target at the other.
However, on 25 minutes, the hosts would spurn a glorious chance to take the lead as the ball was presented to Mark Edgar inside the box and the ex-Coleraine man would be denied by a superb stop by Gareth Deane. A minute later, the same player thought he had broken the deadlock with a smart finish but he was denied by the linesman for offside.
After Kieran Farren blocked a lobbed effort from Ian Parkhill, the defender would foul the same player inside the box on 34 minutes. ‘Parky’, who made over 200 appearances for the Bannsiders, kept his composure from the spot to give Moyola the lead at half-time.
Just before the hour mark, Coleraine wasted a glorious chance to restore parity as a misplaced back pass allowed Jack Patton through on goal but the striker could only blaze straight at Andy Findlay.
Moyola – who came into the contest after a 6-0 win against Desertmartin in the Intermediate Cup – would carve out two further opportunities to double their lead but neither Samuel McIlveen nor Michael Smith could profit.
On 74 minutes, referee Gareth Stewart would point to the spot for a second time after Aaron Jarvis was upended by Caolan Gillan inside the box. The ball was grabbed by McLaughlin who steered in from 12 yards on his 200th appearance for the club.
This gave Coleraine the ascendancy and they went within a lick of paint of adding to their tally as Jack O’Mahony’s cross cannoned off the post, before substitute Christopher Cullen dragged an effort wide from just outside the box.
As the night got cooler, the game would enter extra-time and the hosts would see another big opportunity come and go as a fantastic cross into the box by Gray met Edgar at the back post but he blazed over with the goal at his mercy.
Before the half-time whistle, Cullen would show neat footwork outside the box but his fizzed effort failed to trouble Findlay.
A minute after the restart, the visitors took the lead for the first time in the contest as a dangerous cross into the area by O’Mahony deflected off a defender and went into the net via the post.
Coleraine looked to kill the game off and would create two chances in as many minutes as Findlay was called into action to deny both Jarvis and O’Mahony from distance.
However, a North-West Senior Cup final date with Ballinamallard United was confirmed on 113 minutes as the ball was worked out to Jarvis at the edge of the box and he hit a superb curling effort beyond the reach of Findlay and into the net.
MOYOLA PARK: Findlay, Harris, McLean, Francis (Patchett ‘107 mins), Smith (Millar ’99 mins), McIlveen, Parkhill, Gray, Gillan (Robinson ’79 mins), Henry, Edgar.
Subs Not Used: O’Mullan, McNeill.
COLERAINE: Deane, A. Jarvis, J. McLaughlin, Farren, O’Mahony, Stewart (Keogh ’59 mins), Campbell, Dealey, Patton (Cullen ’75 mins), Moffatt, Doherty (Feeney ’75 mins).
Subs Not Used: Donnelly (GK), Kelly.
Referee: Gareth Stewart