Last Time Out

COLERAINE would end 2018 with all three points as a late winner by Jamie McGonigle earned a victory at Milltown…

Date:

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Result:

Warrenpoint Town 0-1 Coleraine

Goal – McGonigle (’76 mins)

Report:

COLERAINE ended 2018 in fine style as Jamie McGonigle’s late winner helped edge the Bannsiders to all three points against Warrenpoint Town.

The visitors would receive a blow four minutes into the game as defender Lyndon Kane was forced to be substituted through a re-occurrence of a foot injury.

His replacement was Graham Crown and the summer signing was called into action almost immediately to make a timely block on Alan O’Sullivan as the striker was played through on goal. On 13 minutes, Bannsiders stopper Chris Johns was called into action to keep out Eamon Scannell’s rasping effort.

It took until the half hour mark for the next chance to arrive as a long throw managed to find its way to Stephen Lowry inside the box. The stand-in skipper cleverly lobbed the ball over Aaron McCarey but Seanan Foster was there to clear off the line.

Two minutes later, the ‘Point played a neat passage of football as O’Sullivan held the ball up for Joshua Lynch but Johns went down low to smother the ball. At the other end, McAree’s men almost took the lead from an unlikely source as Adam Mullan and Jamie McGonigle played a neat one-two with the former lobbing the ball inches over the crossbar. The Bannsiders would create two further half chances as Josh Carson was denied from a free-kick, before McGonigle turned and dragged wide.

However the home side should have been ahead at the interval as a long ball was flicked on by Joshua Lynch into the path of Philip Donnelly. The speedy striker managed to evade the challenge of Crown but Johns was there to deny his effort.

Coleraine shuffled their pack at the start of the second-half as Eoin Bradley replaced Ian Parkhill but it would be Johns who would once again bail out his team-mates as the ‘keeper kept out O’Sullivan’s shot after he was picked out by Donnelly.

Minutes later, Bradley could only fire straight at McCarey after great work by Darren McCauley and there would be further frustration as Lowry failed to hit the target with a long range effort. On 67 minutes, Johns’ inspired display was further evidenced as he somehow managed to tip O’Sullivan’s close range strike around the post for a corner.

The visiting support thought they had taken the lead on 70 minutes as a pin-point cross by Aaron Canning found the head of Bradley but his effort went inches over the crossbar. After pushing and pushing for the opening goal, it duly arrived on 76 minutes as McCauley’s cross found the alert McGonigle and he fired home at the second time of asking.

Stephen McDonnell’s side went in search of a last gasp equaliser and were thwarted by Johns who saved from O’Sullivan, before Ciaron Harkin blocked Fra McCaffrey’s shot as Coleraine earned all three points at Milltown.

Line-ups:

WARRENPOINT TOWN: McCarey, Foster, Hughes, J. Lynch (McCaffrey ’61 mins), O’Sullivan, M. Lynch, Watters (Kelly ’77 mins), Scannell, Norton (McGrandles ’87 mins), Wallace, Donnelly.

Subs Not Used: Turker (GK), Moan.

COLERAINE: Johns, Kane (Crown ‘4 mins), Mullan, Harkin, McCauley, Lowry, Carson, McConaghie, Parkhill (Bradley ’46 mins), McGonigle (Douglas ’88 mins), Canning.

Subs Not Used: Doherty (GK), O’Donnell, Gawne, Whiteside.

Referee:

Shane Andrews