Last Time Out

Last Time Out

MATTHEW Shevlin would be the late hero as his strike earned the Bannsiders a share of the spoils against Larne last month…

Date:

Tuesday, March 1, 2022

Result:

Coleraine 1-1 Larne

Goals – Shevlin (’90+5 mins); Doherty (’71 mins)

Report: 

COLERAINE rescued a late equaliser as Matthew Shevlin was in the right place in the right time to stab home following a pulsating second-half at The Showgrounds.

The Bannsiders would make four changes to their starting line-up for the contest but it would be Larne who would make all the early running on the Ballycastle Road. The visitors would have their first sight of goal on three minutes as Lee Lynch tested the handling of Gareth Deane from distance.

Tiernan Lynch’s side would come within a lick of paint of taking the lead on 15 minutes as John Herron’s turn and touch allowed Ronan Hale to pick up possession at the edge of the area. The striker hit a daisy cutter that looked certain to find the net but it cannoned off the post.

Hale would once again threaten as his strike failed to find the target, with Herron having the same fate just before the half hour mark. In truth, Coleraine failed to test Conor Devlin in the opening 45 minutes as Deane was called into action to save Hale’s drive from the edge of the area.

Coleraine would be much improved after the break and created their meaningful attack of the game on 47 minutes. A quick switch of play to the left-hand side saw Jamie Glackin burst into the box but his drive was kept out at the near post by Devlin.

On 55 minutes, the Stripes thought they had edged ahead as Stephen Lowry had the vision to pick out the run of Curtis Allen. The striker was able to pick out Andrew Mitchell inside the area but his strike sailed over the crossbar.

Larne – who had won five out of their last seven fixtures in all competitions prior heading to the north coast – would threaten from distance yet again as Lynch’s well driven effort was palmed around the post by Deane.

However, the deadlock would be broken on 71 minutes as Lynch chased the ball down the right-hand side and squared to Ben Doherty inside the area. The former Coleraine ace took a good first touch before burying the second to make it three goals against the Bannsiders this season.

The final 15 minutes would be exhausting to watch as Coleraine had a goal disallowed when Stephen Lowry was denied an equaliser for a foul on Devlin, before the visitors also had a goal ruled off as Lee Bonis was in an offside position from David McDaid’s through ball.

Minutes later, Brown was on hand to clear McDaid’s lob off the line, whilst at the other end, Devlin would make smart stops to deny Josh Carson and Shevlin from distance.

The game would be summed up by two defining moments in stoppage time as McDaid’s delicate lob hit the crossbar with Coleraine capitalising on that good fortunate as Shevlin prodded home to keep the Bannsiders in touch of the teams above them in the standings.

Line-ups:

COLERAINE: Deane, Brown, Lowry, Carson, Wilson, O’Donnell, Glackin, Traynor, Allen (Bradley ‘61 mins) Mitchell (Allen ‘61 mins), Kelly.

Subs Not Used: Gallagher (GK), Kane, McLaughlin, Tosh, McFeely.

LARNE: Devlin, Watson, Sule, Herron, Hale (McDaid ‘80 mins), Doherty (Jarvis ‘79 mins), Scott (Balmer ‘79 mins), Lynch, Bolger, Bonis, Hughes.

Subs Not Used: Argyrides (GK), Nasseri, Randall, Mitchell.

Referee:

Declan Hassan