Saturday 26 October
Kick Off 3.00pm
Game 14 in the Sports Direct Premiership takes us North West as we make the trip to Coleraine Showgrounds.
Perhaps unsurprisingly after a summer of huge player turnover, Coleraine have had an inconsistent start to the league campaign.
The thirteen league games played so far have yielded four wins, four draws and five defeats, while last week’s away win against in form rivals Ballymena United was a significant highlight, Dean Shiels’ side have lost four of their last five league games and presently lie in seventh place.
Over twenty members of last season’s squad departed during the summer break as the club transitions to a completely full-time model, and eleven new signings were brought in as the Oran Kearney era was drawn to a close and Dean Shiels looks to stamp his own mark on the club.
In last season’s meetings between the sides at Ballycastle Road, the first game ended in a drab goalless draw before a Matthew Shevlin brace secured a 2-1 Bannsiders win back in April, Paddy McClean netting a late consolation for the visitors. Glentoran have failed to win on the last five trips to Coleraine, two draws and three defeats having been recorded since goals from Jay and Rory Donnelly secured a 2-0 win there in December 2021.
Max Little is likely to continue in goal, having displaced former Glens keeper Rory Brown, while defender Cameron Stewart has missed the past two games. Jack Scott is likely to continue to fill in at right back in place of the injured Lyndon Kane, but left back Dean Jarvis could return after serving a one game suspension during Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss at Cliftonville.
Declan Devine: “Last week’s draw against was disappointing in the particular sense that with our domination and the chances we created we should have put the game to bed long before they equalised. The media focus has understandably been on the missed penalty in added time, but it shouldn’t have come down to that. We hit the post, had three efforts cleared off the line and produced numerous other opportunities we didn’t take. But while the result was disappointing I can’t criticise anyone for work rate or commitment throughout the game. This group are giving me everything right now but we all know we’re not the finished article and there are areas we’re working on to improve.
"When we drew with Coleraine at home in the second game of the season I felt a bit like I do about the Carrick match. The team had put in a great shift and with better finishing we’d have been deserved winners. Defensively we were excellent and we dug in very well in midfield. Obviously, Coleraine is another challenge to us but if we approach in the way we have been doing the past few weeks then I back us to get a good result.
"Aaron Wightman got his first 45 minutes of the season in Monday night’s Seconds win over Linfield Swifts. A few more appearances like that and he should be back in contention for the first team pretty soon."
Remaining tickets for this game can be purchased HERE.
Message from Coleraine FC:
Glentoran supporters are to access the Showgrounds via the Hillmans way entrance which is detailed with the red line on the attached map. Parking will be available in the Vineyard car park detailed on the map, supporter's buses can access via the back lane and drop off there also.