FOOTBALL: Sixy Football

The Bannsiders followed up last week’s 1-0 win at Windsor Park by picking up another three points at Mourneview Park on Saturday following their 2-1 win over Glenavon.

Goals in either half from Leon Knight and David Scullion sealed victory and moved Coleraine into the top six with one game to play before the split.

Coleraine made all the early running and should have edged in front early on as Darren Boyce was sent clear. But the striker’s effort was well saved by Andrew Plummer in the home goal.

Aaron Canning went close with a header from Scullion’s corner, before the winger almost deflected in Stephen Carson’s powerful shot.

The Bannsiders breathed a sigh of relief with 34 minutes on the clock after David Ogilby brought down O’Carroll as he threatened to burst through the Coleraine rearguard.

But to the relief of Ogilby and the visiting support referee Raymond Hetherington produced only a yellow card.

Gary Hamilton’s resulting free kick was well saved by the recalled Davey O’Hare.

The hosts were starting to impose themselves on the game and they almost broke the deadlock on 37 minutes, but Coleraine managed to scramble Walsh’s close range header off the line.

And it proved vital as just six minutes later the Bannsiders got their noses in front.

Michael Hegarty split the Lurgan Blues back line with a superb through ball for Stephen Carson. The winger showed great strength and pace to hold off Shannon before squaring to Knight to tap home.

Coleraine had the referee to thank again on 56 minutes after Hamilton had seemingly tied things up with a superb shot.

The frontman curled home a shot from the edge of the box, but ref Hetherington chalked it off as he had already blown his whistle for a foul on Turkington in the build up.

Stephen Lowry almost doubled his side’s advantage just before the hour mark after some neat football from Coleraine, but the midfielder’s first time shot just went the wrong side of the upright.

The second goal finally arrived on 72 minutes as Scullion fired home at the back post from Knight’s inviting cross on the left.

Substitute Wilo McDonagh had a goal-bound shot blocked by one of his team-mates, before Gary Hamilton fired home in the third minute of stoppage time after Wash’s initial shot had been blocked.

GLENAVON: Plummer, Shannon, Turkington, Magee, Haughey, Harpur, Walsh, Neill, Hamilton, Miskimmin, King.

Subs: McDonagh (Harpur 63), Grant, Molloy (King 61), Miskimmin (Shannon 78), Harper.

COLERAINE: O’Hare, Canning, Beverland, Ogilby, McIvor, Scullion, Hegarty, Carson, Knight, Boyce, Lowry.

Subs: Cullen, Tommons, Mukendi, Harkness, Healy (Boyce 90).

REFEREE: Raymond Hetherington.