Five-star Coleraine see off Warrenpoint Town

Bannsiders boss Oran Kearney went with youth for the trip to Milltown with Kirk McLaughlin and Lewis Tosh making their first league starts and it was a night to remember for both of them.

It was experienced campaigner Stephen O’Donnell though who made the first impact as the skipper headed in from close range with only eight minutes on the clock.

The Point got themselves back on level terms six minutes later as Dan McKenna nicked the ball off Ronan Wilson before cutting inside O’Donnell and firing into the bottom corner.

And the home side should have edged in front on 34 minutes as Ball whipped a great cross in for Luke Wade Slater, but he fired wide.

That miss proved costly as the Bannsiders took the lead again five minutes later.

This time Curtis Allen looped a header over Conor Mitchell from a Tosh cross.

Fellow debutant McLaughlin then had a moment to remember as he capped a special night with a goal lobbing Mitchell after Allen’s flick on.

And it was to get even better for Coleraine as Allen latched upon a misplaced clearance to make it three goals in a remarkable seven minutes for Kearney’s men.

The scoring didn’t stop after the break as the hosts gave themselves a bit of hope after Fra McCaffrey scrambled one home following a corner.

That was as good as it got for Barry Gray’s men though as it was the Bannsiders who grabbed another late on.

In what was another first on the night Andrew Mitchell grabbed his first goal for the club firing home from the penalty spot with four minutes to go.