Bannsiders chief Oran Kearney thrilled to see strike duo find the back of the net as ‘spine’ of his team makes return from injury in win against Linfield

The Bannsiders boosted their top-six credentials with a 3-0 win against the Blues as Matthew Shevlin, Jamie McGonigle and Aaron Jarvis all netted second half goals.

It put the icing on the cake for the men from the north coast as Coleraine announced pre-game that the club's takeover by Bannsiders Holdings, led by Patrick Mitchell and Randal McGregor-Smith had been completed.

Kearney believes that if he can keep his big-guns free of injury and suspension then they will give themselves the best opportunity to end the campaign on a high.

"The only thing that builds momentum, which is the hardest thing to grasp and the hardest thing to create, realistically it only comes from winning games of football," he said.

"Listen, it's three points tonight, that's all it is and we've got to keep driving and driving that performance level.

"Every season we pick up injuries and runs and everything else that goes along with it.

"This season has just been slightly different in relation to the magnitude and amount of injuries.

"That back four tonight before tonight's game - and you would probably argue that's our strongest back four that you would want to build a spine around - the four of them have played 60 minutes on the park together in 35 games or whatever it is.

"But the biggest credit I can give the staff and players is how they've gone about their business.

"We just keep driving performance and particularly when you get good players back on the pitch, I thought we had a good performance.

"I said it last week against Cliftonville, I thought we were slightly unfortunate maybe with the scoreline but I could see the shoots were there and I could see it coming.

"Tonight, again, more than anything, I thought our performance first and foremost was bang on.

"Then, when you put star quality out onto the pitch, particularly in the top end, that can be the difference."

McGonigle’s goal was his third in as many games and Kearney remarked that he was delighted to see both of his strikers get on the score sheet following Shevlin’s opener.

He added: “Goals are goals. They both have scored in their careers for Coleraine, past and present, spectacular goals, they've both scored scrappy goals.

"They're both the same: no matter how well they play, no matter how big a shift they put in, they judge themselves on goals and I love that, that's really, really important within reason that they don't become too fixated on it.

“Matthew, in particular, has done a lot of work in the past couple of years where he could have the most accomplished performance and work-rate and touches and link play and everything but if he doesn't score he beats himself.

“It's important for us that we keep driving that and tonight, thankfully, he got his reward, him and Jamie.

"It’s three in three for Jamie and he'll be quick to tell you that as well and I'll be quick to listen.

"Their key thing is ‘are we getting enough chances, is the ball coming into the box enough and are we getting chances to score goals’ and that's the only thing that they're concerned about.”