Bannsiders recruitment this summer is an 'attacker's dream' says goal-getter Matthew Shevlin
After scoring a barrel load of goals last season – Matthew Shevlin admits his supply line has got even better after the Bannsiders’ recruitment so far this summer.
The striker scored an impressive 28 goals in all competitions last season as he unsurprisingly ended up as the club’s top goalscorer for a fifth campaign in a row.
Two of those strikes came in the Irish Cup final as the Premiership runners-up ended their season on a high note by lifting the famous trophy and booking their spot in the second qualifying round of the Conference League later this month.
Coleraine already had the likes of Joel Cooper, Will Patching, Ben Wylie and Lewis McGregor on their books – but their creative spark has been added with the arrivals of Conor McMenamin, Jay Henderson and Ben Doherty this summer.
It should come as no surprise that Shevlin is relishing linking up with those behind him.
He said: “We already had quality last year and to add even more quality is an attacker's dream...so hopefully they can put a couple on a plate for me.
“It was a good season for myself but it felt better having a good season and the team having success at the end of it.
"I've had seasons where I've scored a lot of goals but came away with nothing at the end of it.
“It was definitely nice to finish with winning the Irish Cup and hopefully we can push on again next year.
"The quality within our changing room is there to see and our new arrivals have all had great careers up to now.
“The expectation at the club is massive now, so to be coming in and challenging for a place, you need to be a good player.”
Coleraine have only lifted the league title once in the club’s history back in 1974 but the Bannsiders are widely tipped to end that long wait this season.
After only finishing three points behind leaders Larne last time out, Shevlin admits the goal is to claim their hands on the Gibson Cup when the BOYLE Sports Premiership gets under way in August.
"Yeah, there's no shying away from it,” he responded when asked about Coleraine’s desire to win the league.
"We were closer than some might have thought at the end of last season with how many points behind we were...so it probably ended in a bit of prematurity for us.
“We can't look too far ahead or get too far ahead of ourselves, we know that there's a lot of hard work to be done before Europe first of all before the league even starts.
“But putting together a strong league campaign is definitely something we want to do.”
Larne and Coleraine meet in the curtain-raiser on Friday night at Inver Park as the Charity Shield is up for grabs as both teams prepare for Europe.
But does Shevlin see the contest as ‘a glorified friendly’?
He replied: “I would say there'll be a competitive edge to it.
“We want to win every game we play.
"I know it's only the start of pre-season but it's a good exercise for both teams before Europe and hopefully we get the right result we want.”