MATTHEW Shevlin’s double was enough for Coleraine to edge out Glentoran at The Showgrounds…
Bannsiders boss Oran Kearney made one change to the starting line-up as 16-year-old midfielder Aidan Tejada was handed his debut at the expense of Andy Scott who dropped to the bench.
In a difficult wind, it would take until the 19th minute for the first opportunity of the game to arrive as Jamie Glackin’s half volley from the edge of the box sailed over the crossbar.
Soon after, a fine passage of play involving Glackin and Lyndon Kane released Jamie McGonigle on the right-hand side. The attacker drove into the box and his powerful cross was headed over the bar by Josh Carson.
After Tejada’s debut would come to a premature end due to a knock, Glentoran thought they had taken the lead on 32 minutes. A fine move in the middle of the park resulted in James Singleton’s thunderbolt being pushed over the crossbar by an alert Rory Brown.
Coleraine thought they had made the breakthrough on 49 minutes as Carson’s free-kick rippled the side-netting from 25 yards as Glens stopper Aaron McCarey looked beaten.
However, the deadlock was broken on 55 minutes thanks to the Bannsiders’ high press. This resulted in a loose pass by Fuad Sule, allowing Matthew Shevlin to turn his marker before dispatching beyond McCarey.
Just after Bobby Burns would head wide from a good position for the visitors, Coleraine would strike again on 70 minutes. This time it was Luke McCullough who the guilty party in terms of a poor pass and Shevlin converted from close range for his 12th goal of the campaign.
To their credit, Declan Devine’s side kept pushing and after Paddy McClean was thwarted by Brown a minute previous, the big defender made no mistake with his next opportunity as he halved the arrears on 77 minutes with a crisp finish.
At the death, Glentoran will feel they should have left with a share of the spoils as McClean’s flick-on found an unmarked Jay Donnelly inside the box but the Glens substitute failed to place his header below the crossbar.
It now marks seven games unbeaten for Oran Kearney’s side as they travel to Linfield on Tuesday night.
COLERAINE: Brown, Kane, D. Jarvis, Kelly, Shevlin, Carson, O’Donnell, Glackin (Lynch ‘85 mins), J. Scott, McGonigle (A. Scott ‘85 mins), Tejada (A. Jarvis ‘25 mins).
Subs Not Used: Gallagher (GK), McDaid, Farren, Devine.
GLENTORAN: McCarey, McCullough, Burns, Marshall, Singleton, Sule, Fisher (J. Donnelly ‘43 mins), McClean, Russell, McGinn (Lindsay ‘68 mins), Junior (O’Connor ‘85 mins).
Subs Not Used: Webber (GK), Kane, McCartan, Murphy.
Referee: Steven Gregg