Coleraine keen to keep moving forward

Things are bubbling along nicely at Coleraine Showgrounds.
Jamie McGonigle is a man in form with six goals in his last four games.  Picture by Peter Morrison/PressEyeJamie McGonigle is a man in form with six goals in his last four games.  Picture by Peter Morrison/PressEye
Jamie McGonigle is a man in form with six goals in his last four games. Picture by Peter Morrison/PressEye

A seven game winning streak has fired the Bannsiders within touching distant of third placed Cliftonville, and also into the last eight of the Irish Cup.

“We take great confidence from the fact we have now won seven games on the bounce,” said boss Oran Kearney.

“I said to the players after the game that I’m over the moon to be in the quarter finals because I know what it can be like at this level, and I know what it can be like at this stage of the cup, and I have seen plenty of shocks before.

“So the manner of our performance, the way we went about it in the different compartments through to the final minutes when we kept the ball and nullified the threat and saw the game out is credit to our lads.

“It just shows the experience coming through at a tender age and that’s what I’m looking for.”

Coleraine know they will have to be at their best on Saturday though to keep their run going.

Dungannon Swifts are unbeaten in their two previous encounters with the Bannsiders this season.

They romped to a 4-0 win at Stangmore Park back in August, and they came from behind twice in October to secure a 2-2 draw at the Ballycastle Road.

“We have to go again now against Dungannon Swifts, it’s as simple as that,” said Kearney.

“Top six was always the incentive for us at the start of the season.

“We haven’t secured it yet, we know we still have a lot of work to do to do that, but we’re keen to keep moving in the right direction.”

Rodney McAree’s side have hit a bit of a sticky patch in the league of late with on two wins out of their last seven games.

They got back to winning ways last Saturday with a 4-1 win over Dollingstown in the Irish Cup.

“We could have scored more, but Dollingstown made it difficult for us, but we got through,” said McAree.