Kearney keen to see missing duo back as Bannsiders march on
COLERAINE manager Oran Kearney says that the return of Lyndon Kane and Eoin Bradley will be like two new signings in the New Year as they look to continue their push at the top of the Danske Bank Premiership table.
Kearney watched his side maintain their six-point advantage at the top with a 2-0 win at rock-bottom Ballinamallard United on Saturday.
A first half Ian Parkhill effort and a late Brad Lyons strike secured a deserved three points for the Bannsiders as they stayed clear of second placed Crusaders.
“We’ve gone the whole season without Lyndon and half the season without Eoin and they are two massive players so getting those two back will be great for us and obviously we’ve Stephen Dooley as well,” commented the Bannsiders boss.
And Kearney states that the focus for Coleraine is solely on themselves and not what is happening elsewhere.
“We keep saying to the boys every week that all we can control is what we do on a Saturday. The big emphasis today was just to pick up the three points — whatever happen elsewhere is out of our control,” he said.
Ballinamallard remain four point adrift of second from bottom Carrick and manager Gavin Dykes knows that they face a big week of fixtures.
“We have Ards on Saturday, a Boxing Day derby against Dungannon and then Carrick on the Friday night so it is a huge week. Hopefully we can get some points on the table,” he said. BALLINAMALLARD: Brush, Taheny, McKenna (McCann, 74mins), Clarke, Curran, Martyn, McCartney, Leddy (McIlwaine, 70mins), Armstrong (McGinty, 62mins), Hutchinson, Smyth.
COLERAINE: Johns, Mullan, Harkin, McCauley, Smith, McConaghie (Douglas, 52mins), Lyons, O’Donnell, Parkhill (McCready, 87mins), Traynor, McGonigle (Kirk, 90mins).
Referee: Ian McNabb (Newtownabbey) Man of the match: Richard Brush
Match rating: 7/10