FOOTBALL: Derby delight

On Saturday they followed up their excellent midweek win over Cliftonville with a 1-0 win over the old enemy Ballymena United.

The Bannsiders have now won five games on the bounce, with the three league wins coming without conceding a goal.

David Scullion was the hero as he headed home from Paul Brown's sublime cross 20 minutes from time to give the Bannsiders a deserved victory.

As with most derby encounters the opening exchanges were a bit kick and rush with Gareth Harkin's wayward long range free kick the only effort either side had to show.

Coleraine began to find their feet and they should have broken the deadlock on 14 minutes as David Scullion and Stephen Lowry combined to open up the Ballymena defence and send Harkin in on goal.

But credit to goalkeeper Dwayne Nelson who was off his line quickly to block the midfielder's shot.

The Bannsiders went even closer six minutes later as Scullion's low centre was cannoned off the post by Lowry. Scullion picked up the rebound, but his shot from an acute angle was somehow headed off the line by Denver Gage.

The game burst in to life at the start of the second half as the visitors finally threatened the Coleraine goal.

Gary McCutcheon's clever pass released Nathan Hanley, but keeper Davey O'Hare got down well to push away his powerful shot.

The home side should have broken the deadlock a minute later after Nelson dropped another cross. The ball fell to Lowry six yards out, who should have grabbed his third goal in as many games, but with the goal gaping his close range effort crashed off the underside of the bar and away to safety.

However former Coleraine striker Richard Gibson almost broke the deadlock on 67 minutes as a mix up in the Coleraine defence seemed to have presented the big striker with a golden opportunity.

But Aaron Canning threw himself in front of Gibson's piledriver to deny him a goal on his return to The Showgrounds.

The opener arrived three minutes later after some excellent work from Paul Brown. The former Sky Blues striker showed great strength to hold off Gage before dinking a great cross to the back post for Scullion to bravely head home and set off wild celebrations from the home support.

Ballymena threw everything at the hosts in the closing stages but they couldn't break through a resolute home defence. In fact it was Coleraine who looked the most likely to add to the score line as they hit the visitors on the break.

COLERAINE: O'Hare, Canning, Watt, Beverland, McVey, Lowry (Boyce 86), Harkin, Hegarty, Carson, Brown, Scullion (Ogilby 89).

Subs not used: Harkness, Black, Donnell.

BALLYMENA UNITED: Nelson, Smith Stewart (Colligan 86), Watson, Gage, McDowell (Haveron 46), Hanley, Taggart, Murray, Gibson, McCutcheon.

Subs not used: Berry, Surgeoner, Young.

REFEREE: Alan Black.