Soccer

Coleraine could decide title destination

Oran Kearney's Coleraine side are unbeaten in 17 games ahead of their trip to Crusaders tonight
Oran Kearney's Coleraine side are unbeaten in 17 games ahead of their trip to Crusaders tonight Oran Kearney's Coleraine side are unbeaten in 17 games ahead of their trip to Crusaders tonight

Danske Bank Irish Premiership: Crusaders v Coleraine (tonight, Seaview, 7.45pm)

THE games just get bigger and bigger for Coleraine. After tonight’s league clash with leaders Crusaders at Seaview, they host Linfield in an Irish Cup final dress rehearsal on Saturday before rounding off their league campaign against Ballymena United.

By that stage, third place should be secured.

And while they have their own targets between now and May 6 (Irish Cup final), the Bannsiders could have a massive say on who wins the title race.

The Crues lead Linfield by a point ahead of tonight’s full round of games, with the Blues facing a tricky assignment at home to Glenavon.

Although a former Linfield player, Coleraine boss Oran Kearney is not bothered who wins the Gibson Cup this year.

“To be honest, we have enough on our plate and we have our own agenda,” said Kearney.

“I think the league title race is fantastically poised. The last few years we have rarely got a race that has gone right down to the wire. From that point of view it makes it really exciting and for the league in general it can only be good.”

Kerney added: “We have Crusaders and then Linfield on Saturday. It’s exciting. If anybody feels pressure in those games, they’re in the wrong game because these are the moments you train Tuesday and Thursday night for, and why you put all the commitment in to play in occasions like these. So they’re exciting times – but ones the players have to keep on grabbing.”

Coleraine are unbeaten in 17 games ahead of tonight’s trip to the Shore Road.

The club have enjoyed some long unbeaten runs during Kearney’s six-and-a-half years at Ballycastle Road but not as long as the current one which dates back to New Year's Eve.

“We’ve had some good squads over the years but we’ve never put a run like this together,” he said.

“In the time I’ve been here we’ve had a couple of double figures unbeaten runs but this is something like 17 games. All I know it’s from after the Boxing Day defeat to Ballymena.

“And it’s down to the players – it’s as simple as that. They are the guys, people will tell you, who will make or break you.

“At this point in time they’re making life easy for me.

"Their attitude has been second to none; the level of consistency we’ve found in the last few months has just been fantastic.”

The Bannsiders lost 1-0 in their November visit to Seaview but avenged that defeat by the same scoreline at the end of last month.