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In miserable wet and windy conditions, Linfield suffered a miserable afternoon at the pitch as they experienced their second league defeat of the season at the hands of a clinical Coleraine at the Showgrounds this afternoon

The Bannsiders took an early lead in controversial circumstances. A Coleraine corner hung up to the back post was volleyed back into the middle by Stephen Lowry before Coleraine striker Matthew Shevlin hit a shot on the turn which struck Linfield’s Ethan Devine. Devine was about a yard away when the wayward shot hit his elbow and referee Steven Gregg pointed to the spot. Coleraine’s Lyndon Kane dispatched the penalty kick with height on it to the left side past former teammate Chris Johns.

Both teams lacked creativity in the first half and Blues forward Ethan Devine, despite his best efforts, was left isolated in attack. The closest David Healy’s men came to scoring in the first half was when Kirk Millar’s crisp low drive from 25 yards was well held by Gareth Deane in the Coleraine goal.

Sam Roscoe headed over from Kirk Millar’s near post corner delivery and Stephen Fallon hit the roof of the net after taking the ball too wide after he’d initially burst into space in a good area at the edge of the box, but it was a low-key first half, aside from the penalty decision.

Half Time: Coleraine 1-0 Linfield

Linfield had a strong spell where they had Coleraine penned in for five to ten minutes, shortly into the second half. The Blues needed to score during this spell but they didn’t manage to. Kyle McClean had great awareness when he stepped over a ball that Newberry fizzed into his feet inside the box, leaving it for Fallon but unfortunately, he wasn’t on the same wavelength and it came to nothing when it could have led to a real goalscoring opportunity at close range.

Jimmy Callacher also headed wide from a Kyle McClean free-kick during this spell, before McClean also supplied the greatest chance of the day for Linfield when he flicked a long ball into Jordan Stewart inside the box, but the winger’s well-struck volley from close range was brilliantly blocked by Coleraine’s Aaron Jarvis who threw his body on the line.

Kirk Millar switched to the left side and from there, supplied a number of crosses whipped into the box, with Ethan Devine getting his head on one but it was difficult to generate the required power to trouble the goalkeeper and Deane was able to save comfortably.

With 20 minutes to go and struggling to find a way through, Linfield went 4-4-2 with Chris McKee coming on to partner Ethan Devine in attack as a central midfielder was sacrificed in the form of Kyle McClean.

However, five minutes later it became a mountain to climb for Linfield. Two former Linfield players combined as Stephen Lowry fed the ball into the feet of Matthew Shevlin who turned smartly before fending off Jimmy Callacher and finding the far corner with a neat left-footed finish to make it 2-0 to Coleraine.

Then it was put beyond doubt on 85 minutes to compound a disappointing day for Linfield. Full-back Matthew Clarke – who was wearing the armband on his 300th appearance for the Blues – whipped in a corner which almost went directly in, only for Gareth Deane pushing it against the underside of the crossbar, and there were even some appeals that it had crossed the line but Coleraine rightly played to the whistle to break away and add a third. Jamie Glackin started it and finished it with a left-footed drive following a one-two with Aaron Jarvis.

The absence of Christy Manzinga and Chris Shields were felt this afternoon. It was a below-par Linfield performance punished by a clinical Coleraine display but the Blues can’t afford to feel sorry for themselves with big games coming thick and fast. Up next is Larne at Inver Park in the Irish Cup on Friday evening. With new signing Jake Hastie watching on from the Directors’ box at Coleraine, the Blues will hope he can provide a spark upon arrival.

Full Time: Coleraine 3 – 0 Linfield

Match Images

1. David Healy - delighted to welcome on loan signing Jake Hastie
2. David Healy : I got it wrong today