Coleraine get better of Derry City in hastily arranged friendly

COLERAINE will look to end a long losing run against Crusaders when the sides meet at the Showgrounds this Saturday.The Bannsiders have lost the last five meetings against the Crues, four times in the league and once in the Bet McClean Cup.
In fact, you have top go back over a year, to November 2023, for the last Coleraine win this fixture, and even further back for the last win at Ballycastle Road.
That 2-0 win came in December 2022 since when it’s been a tale of Crusaders’ dominance.
However, the north Belfast side are currently in a poor run of form coming into this weekend’s fixture.
The Bannsiders, for their part, got a break from competitive action on Saturday after their game against Glenavon at Mourneview Park was postponed because of the weather.
Instead, they hosted Derry City in a behind closed doors friendly at a foggy Showgrounds where second half substitute Sam McClintock scored the only goal of the game minutes from the end.
The game afforded Coleraine head coach Dean Shiels a first look at recent signings Paddy Burns and Ronan Doherty.
The former lined out in defence while the latter, signed from Cliftonville last week, impressed in a familiar midfield role.
Jack Scott, who has missed a chunk of games because of injury, got some valuable minutes under his belt, as did promising teenager Aidan Tejada on an afternoon when almost all of the squad got a run out.
More news and reaction inside this week's paper.