Coleraine squad are pushing each other as Irish Cup final is parked for four crucial Premiership games remaining
Cameron Stewart admits the Coleraine changing room are now playing for their Irish Cup final starting places – but knows there are four big Premiership encounters before then.
The Bannsiders booked their spot in the showpiece decider against Dungannon Swifts early next month following an extra-time win against Larne at Windsor Park on Saturday.
With the scores tied at 1-1 following the full-time whistle, the killer blow arrived with just eight minutes of extra-time remaining when Mark Coyle’s cross was swept home by poacher Matthew Shevlin.
May 2 is certainly pencilled into the diary as Coleraine go in search of Irish Cup glory, but as fate would have it, they once again lock horns with Larne at Inver Park in Premiership action this evening.
The Bannsiders are currently third in the table – eight points behind the Invermen – as Larne aim to secure their third Gibson Cup title in the last four years, with Glentoran are only four points adrift in second.
"It's surreal to be in the Irish Cup final but all the boys were excellent on Saturday and I thought we deserved it in the end,” Stewart said.
“It was hard enough to play in, but that's two top teams I thought.
"They're a very good side and so are we and the way both teams moved the ball through the pitch was really good...so I enjoyed it.
“Ruaidhri (Higgins, manager) has been really good with me.
"We see the game in similar ways. I really like him and the game suits me the way he wants to play.”
Star men Joel Cooper and Shevlin managed to bag the Bannsiders’ goals in the capital and Stewart admits it was great to watch the attacking duo do what they do best on the pitch, as well as the competition for a starting role in the heart of the Coleraine defence.
He stated: “At the top of the pitch, we've got some amazing players.
"It's kind of up to the boys at the back to keep it tight and go let them do their thing.
“The competition for places is certainly there but we're all pushing each other.
"That's what you want…we all know how good each other are, so we need to be on top of our game every day, really, in training to play.”
Reflecting on the upcoming schedule, ex-Ipswich Town trainee Stewart hopes the Bannsiders can use the momentum gained from their semi-final win heading into the last five matches of the campaign across two different fronts.
“We've got another game straight around the corner against Larne on Tuesday night,” he added.
"That'll be tough again, but listen, it is what it is, that's the schedule.
"Obviously, Larne are eight points ahead of us, but if we just keep taking game by game, you never know what can happen.
"If we can win the Irish Cup and maybe get top three, top two finish in the Premiership, then it's definitely a good season.
"It's sort of really the first season since Ruaidhri and his staff have come in, so it's definitely a good year if we go and do that.”