Coleraine battle back to protect winning start in Premiership

Loughgall wasted no time in getting their home campaign off to a blistering start as they took the lead with only two minutes on the clock.

A corner-kick wasn’t cleared by the Coleraine defence and that allowed Andrew Hoey to bundle the ball home.

The Bannsiders had conceded first in the opening-day win against Ballymena United before staging a comeback.

And it would prove to be a case of déjà-vu as they equalised two minutes later at Lakeview Park.

Lee Lynch would be afforded too much time inside the hosts’ box and he had the vision to pick out McKendry, who found the back of the net via a deflection.

Just after Gareth Deane made a superb stop to tip Tiernan Kelly’s effort over the bar, the visitors would then take the lead as Loughgall were once again carved open.

An inch-perfect pass by Andy Scott released Mitchell and the big striker made no mistake with a low finish into the bottom corner.

Oran Kearney’s men were looking threatening every time they went forward and threatened as Mitchell tested the gloves of Berraat Turker from distance, before Davy McDaid’s long individual run would see the striker also being denied by the Loughgall custodian.

Coleraine would start the second half as they ended the first as Mitchell would see another attempt on goal come and go, with Scott thwarted soon after as the winger embarked on a mazy run towards goal.

However, the Villagers would still provide a threat at the other end of the pitch.

The speedy Pablo Andrade was played through on goal but his low effort was palmed away by a stretching Deane.

As both teams made substitutions, Coleraine went in search of a killer third and they had a good chance of doing exactly that as Jamie Glackin’s ball over the defence picked out McDaid but he misfired from an acute angle.

Loughgall were pressing hard for an equaliser and left gaps in the back, which were exploited on 83 minutes as Caolan Loughran brought down McDaid in the box.

The resulting spot-kick would be taken by Dean Jarvis but Turker would give the hosts a lifeline by saving the full-back’s effort.

Dean Smith’s side would have one final chance to earn a share of the spoils as Caolan McAleer’s deep free-kick was met Loughran at the back post.

But his towering header was, ultimately, off-target.

It marked a hard-earned win for Coleraine for two wins from two but Loughgall will certainly be buoyed at their competitiveness against one of the Premiership big boys.

LOUGHGALL: Turker, Rea, Murdock, Kelly, Andrade, Teggart, Ferris (Magee, 81), Hoey (Patton, 70), Cartwright, Balde (McAleer, 61), Loughran.

Subs (not used): Devine, Norton, McMenemy, Carroll.

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, D.Jarvis, Kelly, McKendry (McLaughlin, 76), Lowry, McDaid, Lynch, Glackin, Mitchell (O’Mahony, 59), Scott.

Subs (not used): Donnelly, A.Jarvis, Farren, McCrudden, Doherty.