Coleraine look to stop the rot

COLERAINE will look to put a horrible run of form behind them when they host Glenavon at the Showgrounds on Saturday.

Oran Kearney's side go into the game on the back of seven straight losses in all competitions and they haven't tasted victory since beating Loughgall at Ballycastle Road in early December.

Since then it's been a sorry tale of defeats which has seen them drop out of the top six for the first time season, usurped by Carrick Rangers, the latest team to defeat the Bannsiders last Saturday.

What's worse, the team hasn't scored a goal in its last three outings in league and cup whilst at the same time conceding 11, a baptism of fire for new goalkeeper Rory Brown.

He, of course, comes up against his former team this weekend, as does Gareth Deane, the one time Coleraine netminder, who faces his old team just weeks after going in the opposite direction to Mourneview.

The teams have met on two occasions this season, a 4-1 home win for Coleraine in October followed by a 1-1 draw in mid-Ulster before Christmas, when the home side, down to ten men for the second half, struck deep in added time to rescue an unlikely draw.

That win in the autumn was Coleraine's single win over the Lurgan Blues in their last 12 meetings, an indication as to the extent of the task awaiting the home side on Saturday.

But while Coleraine are going through a torrid time, things have recently taken a bit of a downward turn for Stephen McDonnell after a promising start to his tenure.

Having won their opening two games of the New Year, Glenavon were rocked when losing to derby rivals Portadown at home in the last four of the Bet McLean Cup and were on the end of a heavy defeat by Derry City in a midweek friendly.

They have been busy in the January transfer market, bringing in a raft of new players, to add to the core of established Premier League players already at the club.

They will, of course, provide stiff opposition for a Coleraine team badly out of form and clearly lacking in confidence.

However, they have been handed a boost by the return from long-term injury of several key players, among them club captain Stephen O'Donnell, midfielder Josh Carson and striker Matthew Shevlin.

While it will take those players some time to get up to speed, their presence in the squad is a timely fillip to under-fire Bannsiders' boss Oran Kearney who has spoken candidly of the pressure he is currently facing.

Defender Dean Jarvis is expected back from suspension for this one while it is hoped that playmaker Jamie Glackin may have recovered sufficiently from injury to claim a place in the squad.

“We've had a lot of really good times here and really good years over the last years and I do believe there's good times ahead as well but, just at the minute, we're in a sticky position where we ideally need as much support as possible," was Oran's message this week.

“The amount of messages and phone calls I've had and stopped in the street and everything else from Coleraine and, to be honest, fans up and down the country and also from players and managers and everything around the country.

“That gives you confidence and it gives you heart and spirit. There are a lot of people out there who do have your back and do have an understanding of where we're at and where we need to get to

“I know the team's not where we need to be, I don't need to be told that, and it is really frustrating but it's one of those where we've just got to work hard to turn things around," he added.