Coleraine boss Oran Kearney confident of '˜big performance' in Europa League play-off against Glentoran

The Bannsiders have home advantage for the crunch tie as the lucrative prize of European qualification hangs in the balance.

Victory tonight will earn a final showdown with Cliftonville next Tuesday, but Kearney insists his players’ sole focus is on the visit of Alan Kernaghan’s Glens to The Showgrounds.

“We have been preparing for this game for the past few weeks, and we have protected the players from any negativity leading up to the game,” Kearney said.

“I feel we are physically ready and I am confident we have a big performance in us.”

Coleraine warmed up for tonight’s play-off with an impressive 3-0 victory over Cliftonville at the weekend, ending a disappointing seven-game run without a win.

But Kearney believes previous form counts for little going into tonight’s play-off.

“I don’t believe there is such a thing as a good vein of form going into a fixture like this,” he added.

“It wouldn’t have mattered if we had won our previous five games, it wouldn’t have any bearing going into Friday night. This is a one-off game and is like a cup final.”