Match Highlights vs Cliftonville

COLERAINE TV match highlights from the Bannsiders’ defeat at Solitude are now available via the club’s official YouTube account…

Oran Kearney’s men would lose their 17 match unbeaten streak as goals from Jamie Harney and Paul O’Neill had the Reds well ahead, before Ben Doherty reduced the arrears from the spot.

The Bannsiders threatened inside the first minute as Curtis Allen headed wide from Doherty’s corner kick, with the striker also denied a penalty three minutes later as he was brought to ground by Reds defender Ryan O’Reilly.

In a lively start to the match, Gareth Deane was called into action to tip Paul O’Neill’s strike around the post, before Stephen Lowry’s cross was misjudged by Harney and Eoin Bradley’s turn and shot was deflected into the arms of Aaron McCarey.

The match would have further half chances at both ends through Allen and Aaron Donnelly but Coleraine blew a sigh of relief just after the half hour mark as Rory Hale’s strike deflected off Aaron Canning and inches wide of the post.

However, the breakthrough arrived on 43 minutes as a pin-point delivery by Donnelly was headed home by Harney at the back post. Then, just five minutes after the restart, the Reds almost made it two as the lively Daire O’Connor sent an effort well over the bar.

The Stripes thought they had levelled on the hour mark as Stephen O’Donnell headed straight at McCarey from close range. The visitors would rue that missed chance two minutes later as O’Neill bundled home from a corner kick despite Josh Carson’s best efforts to hook the ball clear.

Coleraine would be given a lifeline on 67 minutes as the already booked Harney brought down Bradley inside the box. The ball was grabbed by Doherty who slammed home his 14th goal of the season.

On 75 minutes, the Bannsiders would suffer a blow as Bradley received his marching orders for a second bookable offence and Cliftonville almost added a third late on as substitute Michael McCrudden blazed over from a good position inside the box.