Mixed emotions for Coleraine boss Oran Kearney

The Bannsiders lay four points behind the Blues, who were confirmed as having won their 54th Gibson Cup yesterday, when football was suspended on March 7.

With the season curtailed and a Points Per Game formula deciding the final placings, Kearney was left to mull over what might have been had the final seven games been able to be played.

“It’s closure now for us all, it has been a long time coming but we can all move on now,” he said.

“I suppose the only thing is it is tinged with the unknown for us and that will be a frustration as we will never know how things might have panned out if we had been able to play out the remaining games.

“I feel we had the momentum with us and it is safe to say we would have had a right crack at it.

“I have no doubt that it would have gone right down to the wire.

“I think if you rewind to the start of the season, and with only three European places up for grabs this year, we would probably have bitten your arm off if we were offered one.

“But given how well the season has gone for us, and the form we were in over the last few games it is a bit of mixed emotions wondering what might have been.

“It’s massive for our club to secure European football, it’s what we set out to achieve every season.

“It is even more important given the current climate.

“It’s a great achievement and the players deserve so much credit for it.”

Kearney is hoping clubs can get back to focusing on football again after an acrimonious end to the current campaign.

“It has been difficult for players and managers over the last couple of months as we have been on the periphery of everything,” he said.

“Hopefully now we can all draw a line under it, move on and get back to focusing on football again.”

Linfield chairman Roy McGivern paid tribute to Coleraine for pushing his side so hard this season before they were confirmed champions.

“I would pay tribute to Coleraine who pushed us so hard this season and unfortunately we were all denied what could have been a very exciting climax to the season,” he said.

“Our manager, players and staff deserve enormous credit for their achievements this season.

"We were playing catch-up in the League after our incredible European run at the start of the season but we had put ourselves in an excellent position to retain the title before the pandemic struck to halt sport and many aspects of our normal lives.

"We had established a four point lead over our closest rivals Coleraine but were also ten points ahead of Crusaders in third place so I don’t think anyone can question our title credentials.”

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