BANN ORAN CLOUD NINE

COLERAINE boss Oran Kearney saluted his team after they battled back to grab a priceless draw against Glentoran at the Oval last night.

The result kept the Bannsiders in pole position to claim a lucrative automatic European qualification slot by finishing second to Linfield in the table.

It was the third time the clubs have met inside the past month and the previous two finished in stalemate, so it was hardly surprising this match finished with a similar outcome.

Ruaidhri Donnelly shot the East Belfast team into the lead, but Stephen Lowry hit a crucial leveller with only 90 second remaining (above).

“The lads show great character, they kept going right to the end and fully deserved the equaliser,” said Kearney. “The previous two games were tight, cagey affairs and this was exactly the same.

“But the last have a never-say-die attitude. We now have three big game remaining, it means our destiny is in our own hands.”

Although both teams had chances to win the game, most of the main action was crammed into the final 12 minutes.

Substitute Dale Gorman – who has been on the pitch only a matter of seconds, sent in a brilliant free kick on 78 minutes and Donnelly got up above everyone else to guide his header past the outstretched glove of Marty Gallagher.

But as the clock ticked down and the Glens edged closer to the win that would have taken them in to second place, Lowry’s shot from the edge of the box appeared to deflect of Glentoran defender Paddy Mcclean and hit flashed past unsighted Rory Brown.

David Mcdaid scored twice from the penalty spot to earn Larne a 2-1 win over Cliftonville at Solitude. Mcdaid had earlier replaced the injured Johnny Mcmurray and he made no mistake from the spot in the first half, his crisp effort beating Reds goalkeeper Declan Dunne.

Barry Coffey shot the Reds level with a brilliant free kick before Mcdaid against struck from the spot, this time sending Dunne the wrong way – it was his 12th goal of the season.