Jennings strike gets Coleraine back to winning ways

The Bannsiders started the game brightly and they should have edged in front on seven minutes after Stewart McMullan released Curtis Allen, but Elliott Morris blocked his shot.

A minute later the Bannsiders made the breakthrough. Shane Jennings crashed a header off the post from Joel Bradley’s cross, but the big striker reacted well to fire in the rebound for his first of the season.

It should have been two on 31 minutes as Jennings reed up Allen, but again Morris denied him with a block.

Glentoran nearly drew level with their first effort of the game on 39 minutes, but David Howland shot straight at Michael Doherty.

Allen should have doubled Coleraine’s lead on 54 minutes as he latched on to Jennings’ flick, but again Morris denied him.

Andy Waterworth almost brought his side level with six minutes to go, but his looping header clipped the bar with Doherty beaten.

While at the other end Allen went close again as he forced Nixon into a mistake, his pinned effort ended up on the wrong side of the post though.

Waterworth went close again in the last minute, but he somehow hooked the ball over the bar from close range.

Coleraine: Doherty, Watt, Colligan, Beverland, McMullan, Bradley (Hegarty 76), Harkin, Lowry, McIlmoyle, Allen, Jennings (Scullion 69).

Subs: Boyce, Boyd, Owens.

Glentoran: Morris, Ward, Hill, Magee, Nixon, M Clarke, Howland, McGuigan, Waterworth, O’Hanlon (Callacher 46), Murray (Carson 46).

Subs: R Clarke, Gibson, Gordon.

Referee: Raymond Hetherington.