Four-midable Bannsiders ease past Dungannon Swifts challenge

Coleraine underlined their title credentials on Saturday with a crushing 4-0 defeat of in-form Dungannon Swifts, thanks to goals from Zane Okoro, an own goal from Caolan Marron, Joel Cooper and a Will Patching penalty.

The home side opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Zane Okoro with his third goal of the season.

Dylan Boyle did well to break up a Dungannon Swifts attack before transferring the ball to Jamie Glackin.

The Coleraine playmaker raced forward before feeding the on-loan Lincoln City winger who held his nerve to bury a low right foot shot through the legs of Declan Dunne.

Eight minutes later the home side doubled their lead thanks to an own goal from the unfortunate Caolan Marron.

Again, Glackin was involved, feeding Dean Jarvis on the left, the defender’s low drilled cross slicing off the Dungannon defender’s boot and high into the roof of his own net.

The Bannsiders made it 3-0 ten minutes after the restart through a fine individual effort from Joel Cooper who raced clear of the Dungannon defence to fire home his sixth goal of the season.

The scoring was complete moments later when Will Patching celebrated his 27th birthday in style by stroking home a penalty after Matthew Shevlin had been fouled inside the box.

Afterwards, Bannsiders' boss Ruaidhri Higgins said he was delighted with his team's performance, after a low-key opening 10 minutes.

"I thought we were flat but we got a brilliant breakaway goal and the second goal was really good as well which gave us a platform," he said.

"We've made a habit of scoring early in the second half and Joel put the game to bed.

"This is a really good group of lads who want to get better and want to be successful and it gives you a chance when you have a group like that," he added.

More in Tuesday's newspaper.