COLERAINE claimed their first win of the season in the first A26 derby of the season as they beat Ballymena United 4-2 at the Showgrounds.
The Sports Direct Premiership clash between the two sides started off as a tame affair, with both teams feeling their way into the rhythm of the game, even after Coleraine went ahead early on.
However, after United came back to level the game, the half was one of little substance.
The second half couldn’t have been more different, with Jamie Glackin going from the hero in blue and white to the villain in a matter of minutes, scoring and then earning a straight red for a kick.
However, Coleraine rallied and got numbers back to defend the lead they had amassed and put the game to bed just before the whistle.
Both sides came into this opening game of the second matchday having lost their opening fixtures.
Midfielder Jack Scott opened the scoring for Coleraine after 14 minutes with a fine finish from inside the penalty area after Rhyss Campbell’s initial effort struck the post.
Scott then went close ten minutes later when he headed a corner just wide.
Ballymena United kept knocking on the door at the Showgrounds, with their closest attempt forcing a terrific save from Coleraine goalkeeper Rory Brown after a 25-yard free kick from Ben Kennedy.
Shortly after this, the Braidmen were rewarded for their persistence with Jonathan McMurray scoring a header.
The tempo in the first half was largely a leisurely one, with both sides comfortable exchanging possessions and working their way down the pitch patiently.
However, in added time in the first half, Coleraine’s Kyle McClelland was shown a yellow card for a heavy-handed challenge on Calvin McCurry and a little extra after the challenge.
When the second half started, Jamie Glackin kickstarted a much more interesting half of football when he was picked out by Scott and put the hosts ahead.
However, minutes later, Glackin was sent off for kicking out at Caolan Loughran after he fell onto the Coleraine scorer following a free-kick delivered into the penalty area.
Ben Kennedy levels for Ballymena United from the resulting penalty, sending Coleraine keeper Rory Brown the wrong way.
The Bannsiders were denied a goal themselves when Ciaron Harkin’s effort was found by the officials to have been offside.
The game was injected with a sense of urgency when the red card was shown and this led to a more end-to-end flow of the game and more chances for both sides.
However, there were more twists to come with Coleraine taking the lead again through Rhys Campbell, who latched onto a deflection from a corner and turned it in from two yards out to turn this derby in the home side’s favour.
Coleraine managed to get numbers back in defence to close out the game and deal with the one-man advantage Ballymena United held.
As the clock winded down, Lyndon Kane picked up the ball near the byline and squared it to Matthew Shevlin who swept the game home and put the game to bed.
