Bannsiders finally get some home comfort

Ian Parkhill’s double was enough to give Coleraine their first home win since the start of December.
Coleraine's  Ruairi Harkin and Warrenpoint's Conor McDonald and Padraig Smith in action. Photo Lorcan Doherty / Presseye.comColeraine's  Ruairi Harkin and Warrenpoint's Conor McDonald and Padraig Smith in action. Photo Lorcan Doherty / Presseye.com
Coleraine's Ruairi Harkin and Warrenpoint's Conor McDonald and Padraig Smith in action. Photo Lorcan Doherty / Presseye.com

The front man scored at the start of either half to see off Warrenpoint Town, who scored late on through Stephen Hughes to set up a tense finish.

It was the home side who came quickest out of the blocks as they took the game to the visitors.

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Aaron Canning’s cross was knocked down into the path of Parkhill with three minutes gone, but his toe poke finish didn’t have enough purchase to trouble Jonathan Parr in the ‘Point goal.

It was a different matter a minute later. Neil McCafferty’s corner was cleared back out in his direction and his second attempt picked out the unmarked Parkhill who smashed the ball past Parr for his eighth of the season.

The front man almost grabbed a second on 18 minutes after great work from his strike partner Jamie McGonigle. The teenager got to the byline before cutting the ball back across the face of goal, Parkhill though just couldn’t get on the end of it.

The visitors were presented with a great opportunity to level things up on 25 minutes. Stephen Hughes raced on to Liam Bagnall’s through ball, but as they striker looked certain to score David Ogilby got back to nick the ball off him.

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McGonigle went close to grabbing his second goal in a week on 26 minutes as he stole the ball off Ruairi Devlin, but Parr stood up well to block his point blank effort.

Darren Forsyth thought he had done enough to get his side back on level terms two minutes after the restart as he tried his luck from distance, teenage keeper Andy Findlay though showed his agility as he tipped the front man’s half volley over the bar.

It was the hosts who grabbed the next goal, and it was that man Parkhill again. He owed a big thank you to fellow front man McGonigle though who weaved his way through the Warrenpoint defence before laying it on a plate for Parkhill to side foot home.

The Bannsiders should have grabbed a third on 76 minutes but Shane McGinty was denied by Parr, the rebound fell for Parkhill, but he was denied his hat-trick by McVeigh on the goal line.

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Stephen Moan also had to be alert to clear Matthew Snoddy’s shot off the line on 85 minutes.

The visitors set up a tense finish as Stephen Hughes fired in from close range with four minutes to go after Johnny Frazer had hit the post following a surging run which had the home defenders trailing in his wake.

Coleraine: Findlay, Canning, Mullan, Beverland,Ogilby, McCafferty, Higgins, Harkin (Snoddy 67), McCauley, Parkhill, McGonigle (McGinty 69).

Subs: Doherty, Watt, Miskimmin.

Goal: Parkhill (4, 53)

Bookings: McCafferty, Canning

Warrenpoint Town: Parr, McDonald, Cowan (Moan 73), McVeigh, S Hughes, Smith, Bagnall, M Hughes, Frazer, Devlin (King 75), Forsyth (Grant 62).

Subs: D Hughes, Boyle.

Goal: S Hughes (86)

Bookings: Cowan, Grant

Referee: Ross Dunlop

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