Linfield suffered late heartbreak amidst a chaotic finish to this evening’s 1-1 draw against Coleraine at Windsor Park as the Blues finished with nine men.
Eleven days after the teams’ last meeting which was a 2-2 draw at The Showgrounds, this was another action-filled draw where Coleraine scored another late equaliser. Linfield came into the match having played 120 minutes in Wednesday’s League Cup win over H&W Welders. Josh Archer picked up an injury in the process of setting up the Blues’ fifth goal that night, so he was unavailable and replaced in the starting eleven by Kirk Millar. Other changes saw Chris Johns reclaim his spot in nets, whilst Sean Brown and Dane McCullough came in for Callumn Morrison and Charlie Allen. There was also a fresh face on the bench for the first time as 17-year-old central defender Donatas Jermakovas was rewarded for his call up to Lithuania’s under-19 squad this week following strong performances for Linfield Swifts.
A healthy crowd flocked to Windsor Park for the much-anticipated clash between the champions and the wealthy League leaders who have ambitions of winning their first title since 1974. However, more importantly, it was the day when Linfield paid respects to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. The wonderful Moneyslane Flute Band once again put on a wonderful performance in the pre-match and half-time periods. Plus, members of the Royal British Legion along with 100 local veterans were welcome guests as they received the warmest of welcomes as they lined the Windsor Park touchline. The Act of Remembrance was dignified as ever.
As Moneyslane Flute Band marched down the side of the Windsor Park pitch and into the Railway End concourse while playing the tune of Killaloe – well received as ever by the spectators in attendance – the referee got the game underway and Linfield made a positive start, forcing several corners in the opening stages.
Luck was on Coleraine’s side in the seventh minute. Their young 18-year-old goalkeeper Aidan Harris breathed a massive sigh of relief that the Newcastle United loanee was able to hurry back and scramble the ball off his goalline after kicking the ball off Kieran Offord in an attempted clearance.
Kieran Offord then threatened after turning into a dangerous area 20 yards from goal after receiving Dane McCullough’s pass, but the striker’s shot was crucially blocked. It was a position that he’d scored multiple goals from already this season, so he could hardly be faulted for backing himself and having a shot, rather than slipping it to the teammate he had free to his right.
Ben Hall was next to go close as the Blues continued to be on top. A deep free-kick was whipped in from the left by Kirk Millar and it was met by defender Hall whose header back across goal flashed just wide of the far post.
Kyle McClean also had a sight of goal when he robbed Coleraine defender Charles Dunne of possession inside the box, but Dunne’s defensive partner Kodi Lyons-Foster did well to stand up and close off the angles which limited McClean to a tame shot.
A while later, Linfield went close once more as Dane McCullough clipped a cross in from the right and it was controlled on the chest by Kirk Millar before he volleyed narrowly wide of the far post.
Yet, for all Linfield’s dominance, Coleraine almost took the lead against the run of play in the closing minutes of the half. Kirk Millar courageously threw himself into a 50-50 challenge, but an unfortunate break of the ball left Sam Roscoe with an awkward ball to deal with. The defender got his head on it, but with not enough weight to reach Chris Johns which allowed former Linfield attacker Joel Cooper through on goal, but Johns came out on top with a big save. Moments later, Cooper threatened again with a sweet strike from 25 yards which was again well saved.
At half-time the Blues would have been pleased with their performance levels but disappointed that they didn’t have a lead to reflect their superiority in the half.
HT: LINFIELD 0-0 COLERAINE
The Blues finally got a deserved breakthrough 12 minutes into the second half and in some style. A deflected Kirk Millar cross from the right was allowed to bounce inside the box before Matthew Fitzpatrick brilliantly scored a bicycle kick from around six yards out. It was the striker’s ninth goal of the season and well deserved for another strong all-round performance.
The Coleraine goalkeeper received treatment for a few minutes in the aftermath of the goal, and their manager Higgins used the break in play to address his team before making a triple change. One player who came on was Scottish winger and, much like the recent meeting between these two teams, he was again a real threat on the right wing.
Isaac Baird went agonisingly close to doubling the Blues’ lead on 74 minutes. It came off the back of typically good hold-up play from Matthew Fitzpatrick who turned and teed up his former Glenavon teammate for a low 20-yard shot which flashed narrowly wide of the post. Sam Roscoe also had a chance, glancing a header wide from Kirk Millar’s free-kick.
Roscoe then left the action through injury, replaced by Sam Taylor as Dane McCullough moved inside to join the back three.
Coleraine fans momentarily thought they had equalised on 87 minutes when a fierce 25-yard strike from midfielder Will Patching swerved awkwardly in front of Chris Johns who did brilliantly to keep it out when the away fans behind his goal thought he was beaten.
The Bannsiders emptied the bench with attacking changes – McManus came on to partner Shevlin in attack, but it was the introduction of highly-rated 17-year-old winger Oli Devlin that pulled them out of a hole. Devlin – who Higgins brought from former club Derry City in the summer – produced a moment of class with a quick turn in the box to make half a yard to hammer in a cross which was converted by Matthew Shevlin.
The game was just seconds into six additional minutes when Shevlin struck. There was still lots of drama still to come. Linfield were reduced to ten men on 93 minutes when Ethan McGee was sent off for two bookable offences. The defender’s first booking came after 17 minutes when he fouled Okoro who turned sharply down the right and the foul was deemed cynical. The second booking left the defender stunned as he played the ball but was penalised for a high foot and dangerous play. Coleraine defender Dean Jarvis went down holding his head, but contact looked minimal.
Against ten men and having an attack-minded team on the pitch, Coleraine went for the jugular and it took a great display from their former goalkeeper Chris Johns to ensure they didn’t snatch the win. Johns – who recorded his 100th Linfield clean sheet in last week’s draw at Solitude – sprung to his left to beat away a snapshot from Cooper.
Seconds later, Johns made another great save to deny what looked a certain goal when Shevlin headed McGregor’s cross to Jarvis at close range, and then he rose again to push away a curling 20-yard shot from Patching.
The drama didn’t end there as the Blues ended with nine men, with Ben Hall being sent off for a second booking 10 seconds before time. Hall’s first booking was for clipping the heels of Shevlin in the last minute of the first half, and his second was for pulling back Cooper who had space to attack. It may well have been a goal-saving intervention, and while he can have no complaints about the booking in itself, there will be frustration that the Blues weren’t awarded a free-kick seconds beforehand for a challenge on Sean Brown.
The Blues will be disappointed to lose a lead late on again, however with a few minutes remaining it looked uncertain that they’d even get a point. The chaotic ending leaves the Blues in a bit of a predicament for the next match which is away to Bangor on Saturday 22 November. Ben Hall and Ethan McGee will be suspended, and the fitness of central defenders Scot Whiteside, Sam Roscoe and Euan East remains to be seen.
FT: LINFIELD 1-1 COLERAINE
Linfieldfc.com Man of the Match: Sean Brown
LINFIELD: Chris Johns (GK), Ethan McGee, Ben Hall, Sam Roscoe (Sam Taylor 77’), Sean Brown, Dane McCullough, Isaac Baird, Kyle McClean, Kirk Millar © (Charlie Allen 87’), Kieran Offord (Chris McKee 75’), Matthew Fitzpatrick
Unused subs: David Walsh (GK), Donatas Jermakovas, Callumn Morrison, Matt Yates
COLERAINE: Aidan Harris (GK), Lyndon Kane © (Rowan McDonald 65’), Kodi Lyons-Foster (Dean Jarvis 65’), Charles Dunne, Levi Ives, Dylan Boyle (Declan McManus 72’), Will Patching, Jamie Glackin (Oliver Devlin 82’), Zane Okoro (Lewis McGregor 65’), Joel Cooper, Matthew Shevlin
Unused subs: Lewis Webb (GK), Cameron Stewart
Referee: Jamie Robinson
Yellow cards: Ethan McGee (x2), Ben Hall (x2), Kyle McClean
Red cards: Ethan McGee 93’, Ben Hall 96’ (Linfield)