MAXIE SWAIN Talks to Coleraine ace hoping to now fulfil promise that first came to the fore as a teen at Shamrock Park

NEDAS Maciulaitis hopes to be the latest in a long line of rough diamonds unearthed and polished by Coleraine boss Oran Kearney.

The 20-year-old Lithuanian has made a big impact at the club since he was headhunted in August – his energy, pace and footwork so impressing the Showgrounds chief that, after playing against the Bannsiders for Annagh United in the Betmclean League Cup on the Tuesday, he was stripping out for them three days later in a league game at Glenavon on the Friday.

Much like his new team-mates Gareth Mcconaghie, Ian Parkhill and James Mclaughlin (all circled above), who were also expertly plucked from the lower leagues by the Bannsiders chief, Maciulaitis has made the step up look effortless. Indeed, few managers can rival Kearney’s record for talent-spotting, whose success in mining the lower leagues also includes the acquisition of the likes of Stephen O’donnell and Aaron Traynor.

This is not Maciulaitis’ first foray into the Irish League’s top flight, however.

Five years ago, he burst onto the scene as a precocious 15-year-old at his hometown club Portadown under Ronnie Mcfall, scoring his first Senior goal against Bangor in the cup.

But he struggled to build on that early promise with a combination of factors, most conspicuously a lack of playing time at first Dundalk and then Portadown last season, prompting his decision to join Annagh United where he had more modest ambitions, namely just to rediscover his love for the game again. And how fateful that move turned out to be.

“Straight after the game against Coleraine, Oran phoned me and told me he was interested in signing me,” explained Nedas, a former Northern Ireland schoolboy international.

“I was only there a month. I was at Dundalk last season and then Portadown for half a year, things just weren’t working out so I joined the Annagh, but I’m loving life now.

“As soon as I heard they were interested, that was it. That week, everything just happened so quickly, I didn’t even understand what was going on.”

Maciulaitis’ story illustrates how luck can change in an instant in football.

After unhappy spells at Dundalk, where the departure of Stephen Kenny signalled the end for his stay there, and then latterly at the Ports, all he was hoping for this season was some game time in Intermediate football with the Annagh, not spearheading Coleraine’s quest for a first title in 45 years.

“Yeah, some of the managers didn’t believe in me and I was getting fed up in a way,” he said.

“I just wanted to concentrate on myself and get some game time because I wasn’t getting much game time sitting on the bench.

“So I thought I would go somewhere I would play to help me as a player, but Oran obviously saw something he likes.”

The Bannsiders are unbeaten in the league all season, the only team in the Premiership yet to lose in fact, but it was their 4-2 win at the home of the champions Linfield three weeks into the new campaign which really sparked them into life – with a 4-0 rout of Glenavon at Mourneview, a 5-0 drubbing of Dungannon Swifts and a 4-2 win over league leaders Crusaders all following in quick succession to underline their title credentials.

Nedas made his debut in that win at Mourneview Park, capping it with a brilliant individual effort, and has quickly assimilated into the squad with two goals and four assists so far.

“All the players here are unreal, everyone just plays and works for each other,” said Nedas.

And for the Coleraine new boy, that togetherness is something engendered by the boss, the gravitas he exudes and the respect he commands.

“I’ve never worked under such a