COLERAINE netted five times in a competitive pre-season outing at Newbuildings United...

With the Bannsiders facing Portstewart earlier in the day, Ruaidhri Higgins handed minutes to other members of his squad.

The opening goal arrived on 20-minute mark when neat play between Oli Devlin and Ben Wylie saw the latter crossing for Matthew Shevlin to convert from close range. However, the lead barely lasted 60 seconds as Newbuildings forged level straight from the resulting kick-off.

The goals wouldn't stop there as Coleraine struck next as Conor McMenamin laid the ball into the path of Cameron Stewart who was able to drive his effort into the net amid a sea of bodies in the Newbuildings box.

Ten minutes later, the Stripes then made it 3-1 as Lyndon Kane left the home stopper with no chance as his strike from just inside the 18-yard box found the bottom corner.

But that two-goal cushion was soon halved as Newbuildings replied with a goal of their own to cut the arrears to 3-2.

Both teams had chances to add a remarkable sixth goal of the first-half as Stewart had a header saved from a corner, whilst at the other end, Newbuildings went within a lick of paint of equalising as a shot came back off the post.

After a few early sniffs in the second-half, Coleraine managed to go 4-2 ahead as Mark Coyle scrambled the ball home from inside the box just before the hour mark.

Shevlin's opener was courtesy of a fine team move and it was the same again as Coleraine had a fifth goal of the afternoon. This time Devlin linked up with Luke McCourt who clipped the ball to the back stick for Shevlin to score.

With two goals to his name, Shevlin chased a hat-trick and he went close to achieving the feat as he headed wide from McMenamin's cross as Coleraine ran out 5-2 victors.

COLERAINE: Schofield, Kane, Wilson, Stewart, Doherty, Coyle, Wylie, Murray, Devlin, McMenamin, Shevlin.

Subs: Robinson (GK), McCourt, Cowan, O'Doherty, Campbell.