Glentoran inflicted Coleraine’s first defeat of the season and extended their lead at the top of the Sports Direct Premiership with a 2–1 comeback win at the Showgrounds on Friday night.
Former Glentoran defender Kodi Lyons-Foster headed the hosts into an early lead, but a brilliant second-half brace from Jordan Stewart turned the game on its head to send Declan Devine’s men home with a massive three points.
Coleraine struck in the eighth minute when Lyons-Foster rose unmarked at the back post to power home Levi Ives’ corner. The Glens had goalkeeper Andrew Mills to thank for keeping the deficit at one before the break, with the stopper producing a series of fine saves – twice denying Matthew Shevlin and tipping a fierce Will Patching volley over the bar.
At the other end, Aidan Harris did well to smother Cammy Palmer’s strike at the second attempt with Pat Hoban ready to pounce, while Liam Burt’s effort from distance whistled narrowly over. Glentoran almost drew level in first-half added time when Jordan Jenkins’ clever strike with the outside of his boot cannoned off the post.
The equaliser arrived just seven minutes after the restart. Stewart reacted quickest to some hesitant Coleraine defending, rifling a close-range volley high into the roof of the net to spark wild celebrations in the away end.
With 20 minutes left, Stewart struck again. Racing through on goal after a defensive lapse, the winger showed great composure to fire past Harris at his near post for his second of the night and Glentoran’s winner.
Coleraine pushed hard for a late leveller, but Mills again came up big with a superb stop to deny substitute Declan McManus, before Ryan Cooney produced a heroic clearance to hack Zane Okoro’s injury-time effort off the line.
The result keeps Glentoran top of the Premiership table and extends their unbeaten start to the campaign in front of a vocal travelling support.
Full-Time: Coleraine 1–2 Glentoran
Glentoran: Mills, Cooney, McEleney, Larmour, Kane, Amos, Kelly, Singleton, Palmer, Hoban, Jenkins.
Subs: Urminský, Stewart, Ferris, Burt, Kamara, Russell, Pattisson.
