Credit where it’s due – it’s been a turbulent campaign for Coleraine but, barring a miraculous five-goal victory for Carrick Rangers on Easter Tuesday, a top-six spot for the split has been secured and a place in the European play-offs guaranteed.
It’s been far from easy, and the Bannsiders know to expect better from themselves that it came down to such fine margins in the end, but given a horror run of form that mounted pressure on manager Oran Kearney like never before on the Ballycastle Road, they will at least enjoy the chance to secure a place on the continent.
In keeping with that theme of making things less of a formality than they perhaps should be, they did somewhat stumble over the line.
They drew 1-1 with Dungannon Swifts at The Showgrounds in a match where Stephen Lowry was sent off, Swifts stopper Declan Dunne repelled a Josh Carson spot-kick in the second half that would’ve doubled Coleraine’s lead following Matthew Shevlin’s opener, as well as a late leveller by former player Andy Mitchell denying the hosts the chance to mathematically confirm their place in the top half on the day – even if, as we speak, it is all but academic.
Yet despite the numerical disadvantage and Rodney McAree’s Swifts piling on the pressure in the final 15 minutes following marksman Mitchell’s finish, the hosts held firm and ultimately, in all probability barring Carrick doing the unthinkable at home to Linfield on April 2, secured their berth among the top half for the final five.
It’s been an underperformance, for sure, but it takes a lot of character to bounce back in the way Coleraine did.
An unacceptable run of just a single 90-minute victory in 14 matches dating from November 7 to January 20 was followed by a streak of just one loss in seven.
That latter span included a rousing 3-0 triumph over Linfield, a goalless draw with reigning champions Larne and a valiant point away to Crusaders – that’s not to be sniffed at.
Fan protests were abound when the Bannsiders lost 2-0 at home to Stuart King’s Carrick two months ago, but the board threw their backing behind Limavady chief Kearney and allowed him to draft in added artillery in January in the form of goalkeeper Rory Brown, striker Jamie McGonigle and full-back Jack Scott.
Having also found injury to be a disruptor, too, it’s no coincidence that the return of Shevlin, who Kearney harnessed into the top-scoring player in the Premiership last season, has seen fortunes improve – that was his third in five matches having sat out the two months in which Coleraine were at their worst.
The boss also has a fully fit Jamie Glackin at his disposal again and seasoned skipper Stephen O’Donnell back from a long layoff since last month, both of whom have made a huge difference in the lead-up to what remains of this term. Conor McKendry’s individual wizardry kept them afloat as well, and his form has abundantly played a role in the team being spared an ignominious bottom-half place.
Coleraine’s objective is simple now. With the play-offs on the horizon, they need to click and stay clicked so as to enter the lucrative end-of-season series in as positive mind as possible.
Further news of the club’s successful takeover by a consortium led by home town businessmen Patrick Mitchell and Ranald McGregor-Smith would also seem to have lifted spirits.
The fight and the will to put things right has not been lost at the end of the day, not by any stretch. Let’s see what they can do.
Featured image from Desmond Loughery/Pacemaker Press.
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