Scullion strikes to send Coleraine into quarter finals

The diminutive forward fired home from close range in the 90th minute, his third goal in as many games against the Sky Blues this term, to send the large travelling support into raptures.

It looked as though Gary Liggett had snatched a replay for Glenn Ferguson’s men as he headed home from close range in the 88th minute to tie the game up at 2-2.

But in the very next attack Scullion hooked the ball home after the hosts failed to deal with Ruairi Harkin’s corner.

Coleraine made a bright start to proceedings on the heavy pitch at Warden Street.

But they found themselves a goal down in the 12th minute in a moment which keeper Michael Doherty will be hoping to forget.

The Bannsiders thought they had cleared the danger as the ball fell to Gavin Taggart 25 yards from goal. The midfielder lobbed a speculative shot towards goal which somehow bounced past Doherty and into the net.

Coleraine responded though as Curtis Allen went agonisingly close on 15 minutes as his shot beat home keeper Dwayne Nelson but clipped the crossbar.

The striker wasn’t to be denied six minutes later though. Some good build up down the left saw Scullion combine with Ryan McIlmoyle. The forward found space on the edge of the box and clipped a perfect cross in for Allen to nod past Nelson for the equaliser.

Ballymena skipper Allan Jenkins went close to edging his side back in front again on 31 minutes as he found space just outside the penalty area, but his curling effort didn’t dip in time.

Coleraine had a big shout for a penalty waved away by referee Davy Malcolm right on half time. McIlmoyle found space on the left to swing the ball into the box and it struck Chris Rodgers on the hand on its way through but the ref was unmoved much to the Bannsiders disbelief.

The hosts started the second half well and it took a smart save from Doherty to deny Ally Teggart four minutes after the restart.

The Bannsiders edged in front for the first time on 65 minutes and again it came from some super football. Aaron Canning exchanged passes with Ruairi Harkin before releasing Stevie Lowry into the box the midfielder did well to drive a low cross back across goal which Shaun Maher could only deflect into his own goal.

Substitute Joel Bradley almost made it 3-1 two minutes later from Michael Hegarty’s cross, but the teenager couldn’t direct his header on goal.

Into the closing stages and Coleraine found themselves with a great opportunity to wrap up the win with three minutes left as Scullion bore down on Nelson’s goal, but his attempted chip was easily gobbled up by the keeper.

Ballymena broke forward and Neil Lowry picked out Liggett in the box who headed home to seemingly make the Bannsiders pay for their miss just seconds later.

But back came Oran Kearney’s men. The pushed forward straight from the restart to win a corner. Harkin swung the ball in, David Ogilby did well to knock it down for Scullion and the wee man did the rest to seal a deserved win for the Bannsiders and extend their unbeaten run over the old foes to 12 games.

Coleraine: Doherty, Canning, McIlmoyle, Beverland, Ogilby, Hegarty, Lowry, Harkin, Tomelty (Bradley 56), Scullion, Allen.

Subs not used: Watt, McMullan, Boyce, Owens.

Referee: Davy Malcolm.

Goals: Allen 15, Own Goal (Shaun Maher 65), Scullion 90.