Bannsiders battle back for a point
Coleraine 2 Dungannon Swifts 2
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Coleraine signed off from their league campaign with a share of the spoils
against Dungannon Swifts at the Showgrounds this afternoon.
The Bannsiders twice came back to level against a lively Swifts side who
helped produce an entertaining game on the last day of he league programme.
There was little urgency in the opening period in what was effectively a
meaningless game with Coleraine fielding several fringe players ahead of
next weekend's JJB Sports Irish Cup final against treble chasing Linfield.
It was Swifts who looked the more likely to find the target and with just
three minutes gone Austin Friel stretched in front of goal, but could not
convert Shea McGerrigan's cross from the left.
The visitors nosed in front with 23 minutes gone and it was Jamie Tomelty
who delivered his first goal for the club, catching stand-in keeper Laurence
McCormick at the far post with a pretty feeble ground shot.
Tomelty tested McCormick on the half-hour and McGerrigan saw McCormick block
his effort.
Coleraine finally found themselves up front and Trevor Hutchinson crashed a
20-yard shot wide of the target. McCormick redeemed himself brilliantly
stretching to turn Adam McMinn's header over the bar.
Young winger Alan Ewart forced Wells into a fine save with a back post
header which looked to be on its way under the bar before Wells turned the
ball over the top.
Three minutes after the restart an error by defender Adam McMinn when he
headed Damien Whitehead's cross backwards but couldn't find Wells and
striker Trevor Hutchinson pounced to snatch his fifth goal of the season.
Whitehead and Hunter contrived to miss a gaping goal when they collided
trying to reach a Stephen Carson cross.
Before that Tomelty had struck a post for the Swifts.
The visitors regained the lead in the 74th minute when Terry Fitzpatrick
fired in a cross from the right and there was Austin Friel to sweep the ball
past McCormick.
However Coleraine replied with substitute Carson threading over a corner and
defender Kyle McVey connected with a header which took a slight deflection
on its way to the net.
COLERAINE: McCormick, Clanachan, McVey, Dooley, McCallion,
McLaughlin, Watt, Whitehead, G Patton, Hutchinson, Ewart. Subs: Hunter,
Crossan, Carson, Heneghan, Neill.
DUNGANNON SWIFTS: Wells, Fitzpatrick, Curran, McMinn, Gallagher,
McConkey, Hegarty, Tomelty, McCarron, Friel, McGerrigan. Subs: Murphy,
Okunaiya, Ferry, McElwee, Hamilton.
Referee: Mr David Dunlop (Antrim).
