Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WINDSOR SPARK
Kane hopes Coleraine can win at home of champions and go on to end 47-year wait for a Gibson Cup title
LYNDON Kane hopes Coleraine can turbo charge their title bid with a “massive” three points against Linfield at Windsor Park on Wednesday night.
The Bannsiders slipped nine points behind the Blues - albeit with a game in hand - after a frustrating scoreless draw with Glenavon at the weekend.
But defender Kane knows a midweek win in South Belfast, which is live on Sky, would swing the title pendulum back in their favour heading into the final straight.
“It’s a massive game for both teams,” he said. “You want to win every game you play and we’ll go there targeting three points, but we also know Linfield are a top class side.
“We won’t go their with fear. We have a good recent record at Windsor Park and if we can’t get ourselves up for this one, we shouldn’t be playing football.”
Coleraine, chasing a first league title since
1974, were in the bottom half in December, but climbed into contention with just one defeat in their last 20 games.
“We don’t want that recent record to go to waste,” said Kane. “We’ve grafted so hard since December to get to where we are and we want to kick on now.
“We’ve clawed our way back, place by place, and back in December we would have bitten your hand off to be where we are with 10 games to go.
“We’ve done well to turn our season around but after Saturday’s result we need to regroup and prepare for a massive game at Windsor Park.”
The Blues edged nine points clear on Saturday thanks to a 2-0 win at Dungannon Swifts with goals from Jordan Stewart and returning Northern Ireland international Shayne Lavery (inset).
LYNDON KANE accepts Coleraine’s title charge will fizzle out if they go missing in action again after Saturday’s game of two halves with Glenavon.
Oran Kearney’s men sleepwalked their way through the opening period and only woke up in the second 45 minutes when Eoin Bradley and Stewart Nixon both rattled the woodwork.
It was too little, too late on a day to forget as the Showgrounds club slipped nine points off leaders Linfield, albeit with a game in hand.
Lose to the Blues at Windsor Park on Wednesday night and it’ll be a long way back for the Bannsiders who are chasing a first Gibson Cup in 47 years.
“We left ourselves 45 minutes to win a game and it cost us,” said Kane (circled aove).
“We can’t afford to have one good half, one bad half if we want to do well and kick on.
“If we put in a first half performance against Linfield like we did against Glenavon on Saturday, they will really punish us.
“Glenavon are a tough team to play against the way they set up, but that’s no excuse for the way we started.
“You don’t have to be bang on the money for 90 minutes, but you have to create chances and we didn’t do that in the first half. It’s really disappointing.”
Coleraine’s best opportunities came in a frantic last 25 minutes when Bradley hit the post with a free-kick and Nixon arrowed a low shot off the base of the upright. Curtis Allen (inset) was also stopped in his tracks by the goalkeeper after rounding him outside the box the referee pulled out a yellow - while Josh Carson had a late lob scrambled clear.
Glenavon’s best chance came on the half hour when Coleraine keeper Gareth Deane was adjudged to have stopped Andy Hall’s volley from crossing the line.
“We hit the post twice and their keeper had to make a few saves in the second half, but we need to do that for a more prolonged period of the game,” said Kane.
“With 10 games left and at this sta season, it’s all about res we need to targ ava t p u “You play poorly and win, bu to grind games out you need to create chances and have more of a cutting edge, not just strikers, everyone in the team.”
While Coleraine have one of their last 2 games, Kane a good reco there are a nu draws in ther the end thin that cost you “At this stag
season it’s all about the three points. You’d take a scrappy 1-0 everytime.”
Glenavon boss Gary Hamilton was left to reflect on a fifth clean sheet of the season and a record of just three defeats in the Lurgan Blues’ last 15 league outings. “Coleraine were the better team in the second half, but a draw was a fair result,” he said.
“We’ve been good in recent weeks and I’m pleased because I have massive respect for the job Oran Kearney has done here.
“They have consistently been in the top two or three under Oran in recent times and that’s no fluke. That’s a good manager with good players.”