Coleraine hope to build on momentum of Linfield win

BANNSIDERS' boss Oran Kearney has been in the game long enough to know that he and his players must back up last Friday night's win over Linfield - beginning at Newry City this weekend.

It's one thing being able to turn it on against the Blues under the lights and in front of the BBC cameras, quite another at a quieter Newry Showgrounds on a Saturday afternoon.

But it's those types of games by which players and teams are measured, particularly if they harbour designs on finishing in the top six come the split.

The teams have met twice before this season, Coleraine winning both, 3-1 at Ballycastle Road in September and a Conor McKendry sealing the points on the road a month later.

However, the visitors will be wary of a backlash from their hosts who went down to a crushing 8-2 defeat at the hands of Glentoran at the Oval just a week ago.

Barry Gray, who has replaced Gary Boyle as manager, will demand a reaction from his players who are cast adrift at the foot of the table having won just three times this campaign.

But that will be of little concern to opposite number Oran Kearney will, as we already suggested, will expect to build on last week's result.

"If we haven't been stung enough times this season in relation to the supposed teams below us or teams around us or whatever it might be then I don't know," he said.

"We're all long enough in the tooth to know what it takes to go and win a game of football and get three points at this level.

"I said it to the players - enjoy the Linfield performance for 24 hours, it's been a long time coming - but in the same stretch it's really important now that we go and back it up this week with another three points.

"The only thing that builds momentum, which is the hardest thing to grasp and the hardest thing to create, realistically it only comes from winning games of football.

"Listen, it was three points last Friday, that's all it is, and we've got to keep driving and driving that performance level.

"To me, if we can keep those guys out on the pitch we can keep driving performance.

"Hopefully we can have a good finish to the season," he added.