Last Time Out

Report: 

COLERAINE reached the quarter-final of the Samuel Gelston’s Whiskey Irish Cup after Lyndon Kane’s third goal in four games helped the Bannsiders see off the challenge of Portadown.

Portadown made the better start in a game played in difficult conditions and they should have taken the lead on 13 minutes. A long ball forward by ‘keeper Jethren Barr was misjudged by opposite number Gareth Deane, with Adam Salley’s using his strength to turn but he couldn’t direct the ball into the net.

On 18 minutes, Paul Doolin’s side would be left ruing their luck as the crossbar was left shaking from Stephen Teggart’s strike. The midfielder was teed up 25 yards from goal by Billy Steedman, and just when it looked like his effort would sail into the top corner, the ball clipped the top of the woodwork.

The Bannsiders would make one change to their starting line-up as Andrew Mitchell was handed a start at the expense of Curtis Allen. The big striker almost made it a day to remember as he headed wide from Jamie Glackin’s cross after a quick corner kick from Lyndon Kane.

Kearney’s men would end the half brightly as Mitchell used the wind to his advantage to force Barr into a smart stop, before the January arrival would square the ball to Matthew Shevlin but he was unable to stab the ball home from a good position. After Shevlin failed to find the target from Glackin’s centre, Barr would be busy yet again to dive low to keep out Mitchell’s free-kick.

The first effort of the second-half came from the boot of Josh Carson but his strike never looked like hitting the target, with the visitors having two fantastic efforts to make the breakthrough as Oisin Conaty had Deane scrambling to tip the ball around for a corner, before Teggart blazed wide from Joshua Chatee’s resulting corner kick.

However, the first goal of the contest would arrive on the hour mark in bizarre fashion. A corner kick was cleared into the path of Kane and his looping header went into the back of the net as Ports stopper Barr was involved in an off the ball altercation with Mitchell.

Despite that setback of going a ball behind, Portadown almost found an instant equaliser as the ball was worked to the lively Teggart on the left-hand side but his curling effort went just wide of the far upright. At the other end, Coleraine almost put the game to bed as a superb cross by Kane met substitute James McLaughlin at the back post but his header from an acute angle smashed the post.

A second goal from the Stripes would definitely see Coleraine through and it duly arrived on 88 minutes as Stephen O’Donnell’s cross field pass turned into a great pass for the onrushing Josh Carson to rifle home an unstoppable effort.

Next up for the Bannsiders in the competition is an away assignment against Cliftonville in early March.

Line-ups:

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, Mullan, Brown, Jarvis, Lowry, Carson, O’Donnell, Glackin (McLaughlin ’77 mins), Mitchell (Allen ’72 mins), Shevlin (McKendry ’72 mins).

Subs Not Used: Gallagher (GK), Wilson, Traynor, Kelly.

PORTADOWN: Barr, Hall, Finnegan, McKeown (Beverland ’64 mins), Sally, Conaty (Lavery ’88 mins) Teggart, Doherty, Stedman (Glenfield ’88 mins), Mashigo, Chatee (Dugan ’74 mins).

Subs Not Used: Doherty (GK), Tipton, Murphy.

Referee:

Ian McNabb