Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
DIDN’T HE DO SWELL
Brave Bannside hearts are broken by NI keeper Carson
NORTHERN Ireland keeper Trevor Carson broke Coleraine hearts with a shootout shutout in last night’s dramatic Europa League clash at the Showgrounds.
Carson, capped five times by his countr y, saved all three of the Bannsiders’ penalties as Oran K e a r n e y ’s m e n exited the competition in agonising fashion.
A brace of Ben Doherty penalties had pushed Coleraine to the brink of an historic win after Callum Lang and Tony Watt fired Motherwell into a 2-0 lead.
The visitors endured a ner vy period of extra time having lost Bevis Mugabi to a red card after fouling Eoin Bradley for Coleraine’s second spot kick in the 90th minute.
But they survived and in the shootout the Bannmen were denied when Carson produced three top saves to deny Ian Parkhill, Lyndon Kane and Gareth areth Mcconaghie.
His first save to parry
Pa r k h i l l ’s stinging drive low to his right was the best of the bunch.
Whi l e Co l erain e misfired, Motherwell l were clinical, with Mark rk
O’hara, Watt and Stephen hen O’donnell all on target et from the spot.
“We made hard work of it and Trevor had to be at his best, but the most important thing is we are through to the next round,” said
Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson (inset).
The SPFL side took the lead in the 16th minute when Lang swept a low shot past Coleraine keeper Gareth Deane.
It was 2-0 just before the break when Watt fired home after being nicely t eed up by Polworth.
Ten minutes earlier A Aaron Traynor was fo forced to clear a sta stabbed effort from Declan Decl Gallagher off the line after afte Deane fumbled a long throw-in.
Coleraine pulled one back in the 48th minute when the referee pointed to the spot after Doherty was fouled by O’hara.
Do h er ty, C o l erain e’s p en alty shootout hero in Maribor three weeks ago, dusted himself down and found the bottom corner.
The Bannmen thought they were level on the hour mark when Mcconaghie fired home, but his effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up.
Lowry flicked a Glackin free-kick over the bar before Coleraine equalised in the final minute of normal time after substitute Bradley was fouled inside the area.
Motherwell centre back Mugabi was sent packing and Doherty stepped up to rifle home.
Coleraine were inches away from taking a 3-2 lead in extra-time but Bradley’s header from a Glackin cross rattled the bar and O’hara scrambled off the line.