Jamie Glackin loving life at Coleraine and eyeing derby glory

Jamie Glackin is hoping this afternoon’s derby clash with Ballymena United will give Coleraine a “chance to set the record straight”.
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The Bannsiders still feel a bit aggrieved at the manner of their defeat to the Sky Blues in their festive meeting on December 27th.

In what was a typical feisty affair with their old foes Coleraine were hit with a very late sucker punch as David Parkhouse grabbed the points for the hosts.

It compounded a difficult month for Oran Kearney’s men as they spurned several good opportunities to take the points for themselves.

Jamie Glackin is eyeing a derby win for Coleraine today. PICTURE: David CavanJamie Glackin is eyeing a derby win for Coleraine today. PICTURE: David Cavan
Jamie Glackin is eyeing a derby win for Coleraine today. PICTURE: David Cavan

Glackin though is hoping they can address it at The Showgrounds today in front of what should be another bumper crowd.

“It’s a chance to set the record straight a bit,” he told the Coleraine FC podcast.

“I think we’re probably on a bit of a better run now than we were when we had played them previously.

“Three points does a lot for the morale of the team no matter how you get them.

“I think that last-minute winner against Warrenpoint has boosted us as a month or two ago we maybe wouldn’t have got that.

“Being at home in front of a big crowd with the chance of going five points clear of them is big motivation in itself.

“You don’t need any real motivation for a derby match though.

“The players know how big it is and hopefully it will be a good spectacle on Saturday.

“There’s no point making excuses (for the last game) because on the day they scored two and we scored one, but we did create a lot and had a lot of play in the final third.

“Oran reminds us about that a lot before games.

“In hindsight if it had been played on a 3G pitch then those chances we created would have been put away.

“We could have scored four or five that day but it just wasn’t to be, we were on a poor run of form then too.”

Glackin has become a real match-winner for the Bannsiders with a number of impressive performances already this term.

So it’s no surprise he has a number of suitors in the Irish League and beyond.

The 27-year-old though was quick to point out how happy he is at The Showgrounds under Oran Kearney, who he feels has helped him play the “best football” of his career.

“There has been interest from other clubs,” admitted Glackin. “It’s probably flattering more than anything, I’d be disappointed if there wasn’t (interest), and that’s not being cocky.

“If you are playing the best football of your career you’d like to think there are clubs sniffing around.

“But they can sniff around all they want, it’s not bugging me at the minute.

“At the end of the day though I’ve signed a contract and you just can’t decide to jump ship.

“I’m happy where I’m at. I love working with Oran, I don’t think I’ll ever work with a better manager.

“He looks after you, he looks after me especially.

Oran has given me the freedom, he’s given me a new lease of life to be fair.

“If I ever go into management I take bits out of what Oran has been teaching myself and others.

“It is different, it’s unique. A lot of football nowadays is too tactical, for me you need to let people go and express themselves.

“As I say I’m happy where I’m at and I’m playing really good football.”

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