COLERAINE 2 - 0 CRUSADERS

COLERAINE put in an impressive performance at The Showgrounds as they swept aside the challenge of Crusaders…

By: Michael Anderson

Goals in each half from Matthew Shevlin and Aaron Jarvis secured another important and deserved victory in this tremendous unbeaten run that now stands at 15 games…and counting.

Both teams were content to test each other out for the majority of an evenly contested first half.

Respective managers Oran Kearney and Stephen Baxter had their teams well organised and both sides quickly pressed their opponents when they had possession.

As a result, it was a fairly scrappy dual between the teams sitting second and third in the table, with few opportunities.

Aaron Traynor – recalled after missing five matches through injury – made an important block to stop Jamie McGonigle after 16 minutes, after he collected Johnny Tuffey’s clearance and drifted past several players.

Coleraine posed few threats at the other end. A Curtis Allen cross was deflected over his own crossbar after 29 minutes by Michael Ruddy.

Matthew Shevlin replaced the injured Josh Carson just before the half hour mark and he wasted little time in making an introduction. Within five minutes he set off on a great run before sliding a pass through to Stephen Lowry but unfortunately the midfielder got the ball tangled under his feet and the chance was gone.

But even better was to come from Shevlin as he pounced for his first goal for the club.

With just sixty seconds of the opening period remaining, the striker nipped in ahead of Robbie Weir to plant a header from Lowry’s superb cross beyond Tuffey into the corner of the net.

The Crues looked to hit back immediately after the restart through McGonigle.He cut inside Ben Doherty after a neat cutback and then curled a delightful effort inches over the bar.

But it was the Bannsiders who enjoyed a period of sustained pressure. Aaron Jarvis wasn’t far away with a 51st minute pile-driver, but he was bang on the mark after 56 minutes as Coleraine doubled their lead. Jamie Glackin’s cross was punched clear by Tuffey but Jarvis was on hand to drill the ball home from just outside the box for his second goal of the season.

The Bannsiders had a chance to put the game beyond Crusaders’ reach on 77 minutes. Substitute Eoin Bradley chested Gareth Deane’s clearance to Doherty who played in Shevlin but his well struck shot was well blocked by Tuffey.

And the ‘keeper repeated the trick two minutes from time with another top drawer stop to deny Jarvis.

So a great night’s work by Coleraine. Another three points, a clean sheet and back to within two points of league leaders Linfield.

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, Canning, Jarvis, Doherty, Lowry, Carson (Shevlin ’29 mins), O’Donnell, Glackin, Traynor, Allen (Bradley ’76 mins).

Subs Not Used: Gallagher (GK), McLaughlin, Tweed, Parkhill, Beverland.

CRUSADERS: Tuffey, Hegarty, Wilson, Weir, Lowry, Kennedy (Clarke ’46 mins), McGonigle, Caddell, Forsythe (Heatley ’63 mins), Lecky (Owens ’63 mins), Ruddy.

Subs Not Used: O’Neill (GK), Cushley, O’Rourke, Larmour.

Referee: Shane Andrews