Sports Direct Premiership
Coleraine 1-2 Glentoran
Glentoran were left feeling the love on Valentine’s Day after an impressive 2-1 win over a toothless Coleraine in tonight’s Sports Direct Premiership tie at the Showgrounds.
Jordan Jenkins scored his 12th goal of the season in the first half, with the impressive Kodi Lyons-Foster adding a second late on to end Coleraine hopes. Matthew Shevlin grabbed one back in the final minute, but it was not enough.
Glentoran are now seven points clear of Dungannon Swifts in second position in the table as their unbeaten run stretches to 15 games.
In front of a healthy home crowd at the Showgrounds, it was the hosts who had the first meaningful attack with only seven minutes on the clock.
Charles Dunne delivered a free-kick into the path of Jack Scott, who got goal-side of the Glens’ defence. The wide man then did his best to round Daniel Gyollai in goal, but the Glentoran stopper got a leg to the ball to clear the danger.
As both sides grew into the game, each became more confident in attack, however it was the visitors’ who opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark.
Glentoran’s leading scorer Jenkins with the finish, as he leaped highest to head home from an accurate Danny Amos free-kick to give Bannsiders’ stopper Rory Brown no chance in goal.
Neither side managed to score again before the break, but Declan Devine would have been happy with the influence of winger Christie Pattisson who appeared to be given too much space by the home defence, to show some of his trademark trickery.
Fifteen minutes after the break and it was the Glens’ who should have doubled their advantage.
Jenkins beat Coleraine captain Lyndon Kane, flicking the ball into the path of Pattisson. The January signing raced through on-goal towards Brown, but the keeper was able to use his foot to make the save and deny the east-Belfast outfit.
The hosts finally had an effort on goal with 15 minutes remaining when Rhyss Campbell tried his luck from distance after a pass from Kyle Spence. But his shot was easily gathered by Gyollai.
Just as Coleraine grew into the game, they were hit with a sucker punch with just seven minutes on the clock.
Marcus Kane with an excellent delivery to the back post which was expertly headed into the net by Lyons-Foster to deflate all hope of a home win.
However, in the final minute Shevlin did grab a consolation with a smart finish from a defensive mix up, but it was too little too late.
Coleraine: Brown, Kane (c), Jarvis, Boyle, Campbell, Scott, McGonigle, Ives, Doherty, Dunne, McManus.
Subs: Little, Stewart, Shevlin, Murray, Spence, Burns, Smith.
Glentoran: Gyollai, Lyons-Foster, Kane (c), Sule, Palmer, Thomson, McEleney, Amos, Pattison, Russell, Jenkins.
Subs: Mills, Hvid, Connolly, Coll, Lindsay, Douglas, Thorndike.