‘Disgraceful’ that cup final swung on ref’s decision, blasts Baxter
STEPHEN Baxter and his players will be keen to draw a line under this final and move on but the anger and disappointment will linger for some time.
The first half penalty awarded by referee Ian McNabb left a bitter taste in the mouth, although the Crues boss will also be disappointed with how his side’s attacking threat fizzled out in the second half.
Just a few weeks ago, Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton said he believed the livelihoods of managers and players were being put at risk because of the poor quality of refereeing in the Irish League.
Hamilton’s comments followed the 8-1 defeat to Linfield at Windsor Park when McNabb was also the referee.
In this BetMcLean League Cup decider, it was the Crues boss who was crying foul after the Bannsiders were awarded a spot-kick when Billy Joe Burns and Rodney Brown closed in on Jamie Glackin, who hit the ground.
With the Crues in control following Jamie McGonigle’s opener, the penalty saw momentum swing back in Coleraine’s favour and, after Stephen Lowry netted from the spot, James McLaughlin headed in the 52nd minute winner.
“We have to play the game in front of us and we prepare professionally,” said Baxter.
“We expect the authorities to do likewise,” he commented when asked about McNabb.
He added: “It took five minutes to calm the dressing room down at half-time.
“The players are incredibly disappointed but they are talented, strong characters.
“You know you’ve been mugged and that’s the disgraceful scenario we are left with.
“Our guys put the hard yards in and they are left with the disappointment of how they’ve lost.
“I did speak to the referee at half-time but got the usual response.
“There’s nowhere to go with that one.”
Baxter was speaking as the party tunes sounded in the Coleraine dressing room.
And while perplexed with the penalty award, the Crues boss will accept that his men failed to bury that disappointment and show their qualities in the second half.
“Games can hinge on those calls and we didn’t think it was a penalty,” he added.
“But I said to the team you have to create more and penetrate from deeper.
“I thought Stephen O’Donnell was man of the match.
“The second goal was in the 52nd minute so the team had plenty of time to reply and we didn’t.
“Reece (McGinley) was excellent when he came on but we didn’t get the goal that we needed. Certain players play certain styles and the true facts are we didn’t create enough and lost the game.
“Had we won it, I would have even worried about the celebrations.
“I would have liked to have won it and Coleraine’s celebrations showed what it meant to them.
“These are huge results and congratulations to them.
“The game’s gone, there’s no more crying to be done, there’s a bigger cup final for us against Linfield on Friday. The league race is tight because there’s little between the teams.”
LEAGUE CUP FINAL
IT was written in the stars — so said Coleraine boss Oran Kearney, who was warmly embraced by his backroom team on the final whistle. To win trophies, you must be able to dig in.
Coleraine had the drive and belief, despite a lacklustre first-half showing, to lift the BetMcLean League Cup for the first time in 32 seasons and only second time in the club’s history.
Crusaders will rightly complain about a soft first-half penalty and Jamie McGonigle will have nightmares about his injury-time miss but the Bannsiders will insist this is a deserved success, carved out by sweat and steel.
After the penalty kick which Stephen Lowry tucked away, Crusaders looked devoid of ideas and let Coleraine off the hook by missing first-half opportunities.
And the Bannsiders know how to get the job done in a big game at Windsor. They have, after all, conquered Linfield twice here this season.
It was a happy birthday for defender Lyndon Kane, who turned 23, while Curtis Allen grabbed a winner’s medal on his second debut.
James McLaughlin’s first League Cup goal this season and first in any competition since November sealed what they say in this business is an ugly win.
Who cares about that? Winners will take an ugly win every time.
McGonigle’s 10th-minute opener is virtually forgotten about now. His late miss, however, will haunt him forever.
The penalty signalled a momentum shift and, just when the final looked like drifting away from Coleraine, the game turned completely.
Coleraine’s character and resilience should be saluted but it’s regrettable the losing side had reason to question the big call which turned the tide.
And yet, after that setback, Crusaders huffed and puffed but conjured up very little magic.
A disrupted Bannsiders backline, featuring the majestic Stephen O’Donnell, snuffed out the Crusaders threats in the second half.
The Irish Cup holders were swift out of the blocks and when Coleraine keeper Chris Johns failed to get sufficient distance on his clearance, Declan Caddell nodded the ball forward and McGonigle did the rest with a lethal left-foot finish.
The 37th-minute equaliser which stung the Crues in more ways than one came when Jamie Glackin, who was chasing Aaron Canning’s deep pass, found himself battling with Rodney Brown and Billy Joe Burns.
Burns appeared to nudge the former Crues player in the back