Seaview Saturday

COLERAINE return to action for the first time in eleven days as they make the visit to Crusaders tomorrow afternoon (KO 12:30pm)…

Danske Bank Premiership

Overview:

Oran Kearney’s men were last in action on May 4 as Stephen Lowry’s late goal earned Coleraine a share of the spoils against Glentoran at The Oval. That result means the Stripes remain in second spot in the Danske Bank Premiership table.

Crusaders have played twice since Coleraine were last in action as Stephen Baxter’s side booked their spot in the semi-final of the Irish Cup following wins against Knockbreda and Glentoran. The Crues will square off against Larne for a spot in the showpiece decider. The North Belfast side are currently sixth in the league table, three points behind rivals Cliftonville.

Previous Meetings:

This will be the fifth meeting between the two clubs this season and the second in North Belfast. The first was at Seaview in November and as the game looked destined to end in a draw, the hosts would bag all three points as Jordan Owens headed in from a Jordan Forsythe cross.

The next contest was at The Showgrounds at the end of the January and Crusaders took an early lead through a smart finish from Jamie McGonigle. However, Coleraine responded and levelled before the break as Curtis Allen was on hand to fire home from Lyndon Kane’s cut back. There would be late drama as Coleraine found a winner in the dying minutes as Stephen Lowry headed in from Jamie Glackin’s set-piece.

In February, the two teams would meet on the Ballycastle Road and it would be Coleraine who would record another three points. In a first-half that lacked any real creativity, the Bannsiders would hit the front just before the break as Matthew Shevlin headed in his first goal in Coleraine colours, before Aaron Jarvis rifled home a second after the break.

At the end of last month, the Stripes had home advantage in the first round of the Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Irish Cup. The match looked destined to go to penalties until the breakthrough was made with less than ten minutes remaining as Paul Heatley’s wonder strike put Crusaders through.

Manager’s Thoughts:

“The Crusaders game is a huge one,” Kearney said.

“They put us out of the Irish Cup recently and you can see the firepower and quality that they have.

“We know how tough it’s going to be and Seaview is a tough place to go.

“We have to make sure we have the batteries well charged and prepare for another big game.”

Admission:

Supporters are not permitted inside the stadium due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

However, the match will be streamed live via the BBC Sport NI website and via the Red Button.

As ever, those unable to attend can follow the latest developments via the club’s official Twitter account (@ColeraineFC).