KYLE McVey did the double over Donegal Celtic last night as Coleraine eased to a comfortable Danske Bank Premiership victory at Celtic Park.
There was kit confusion before this game when the visitors were told to wear green socks due to a clash with Celtic’s white.
The pre-match confusion was replaced by mass confusion in the Donegal Celtic defence and McVey was gifted the opening goal after just three minutes when tapped-in McIlmoyle’s corner-kick.
Coleraine’s second goal, in the 18th minute, was a carbon-copy of the first, another McIlmoy corner that cannoned off the leg of defender Paul Bradley, though Curtis Allen was quick to claim the glory.
Whatever hopes Celtic had of building on a strong finish to the first-half, they were dashed when McVey bagged his second of the game, with McIlmoyle again the provider. McVey headed the winger’s perfect free-kick past ‘keeper John Connolly in the 46th minute to kill off any threat Celtic posed after a strong finish to the first-half.
Hoops striker Mark Miskimmin, who has scored in four of Celtic’s five league games to date, pulled one back from close range in the 60th minute. Celtic came close to scoring again but Paul McVeigh and Miskimmin wasted chances. At the other end, veteran ‘keeper Connolly denied McVey his hat-trick with a smart save in the 77th minute.
It was a perfect response by Oran Kearney’s men to last weekend’s 5-1 hammering from Cliftonville on their own patch.
The only down side to last night’s impressive win was the loss of nippy winger Lee Colligan, who left the venue in an ambulance with a broken ankle.
Donegal Celtic: Connolly, McNamee, Hughes, Lagan, P Bradley, L Bradley, Cleary, Gargan (Gargan 71), Miskimmin, McVeigh, Keegan (Dolan 71)
Subs: Murphy (GK), Burns, McAllister
Coleraine: Docherty, Beverland, McVey, Ogilby, Lowry, Allen, Harkin (Hegarty 67), McIlmoyle, Canning, Boyce (Owens 82), Colligan (Scullion 65)
Subs: Cullen (GK), Hegarty, Boyd, Owens
Referee: Iain McNab
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