Coleraine boss Oran Kearney left to "struggle with a few of the decisions" during Linfield loss

​Dean Jarvis was deemed to have handled the ball in the area by referee Shane Andrews, which gave Chris Shields an opportunity to put Linfield 1-0 up from the penalty spot inside 15 minutes.

Striker Eetu Vertainen’s 17th league goal of the season put the match beyond the Bannsiders but Kearney wasn’t happy with a number of the officiating calls.

"We have caused them (Linfield) a huge amount of problems and a lot of trouble,” he told Coleraine’s club media channel. "I just struggle with a few of the decisions that have been made today in relation to the penalty for the first goal and the decisions that led to the second goal as well.

"It's a hard enough place to come but when you're getting decisions like that going against you it makes it a really tough day."

Coleraine had more shots on target than their hosts but weren’t able to make any of them count as Linfield goalkeeper Chris Johns kept a 15th clean sheet of the league campaign.

"I thought our response after the penalty was brilliant,” added Kearney. “We had a good 20/30 minutes of pressure without really asking questions.

"Chris pulls off a good save from Jamie (Glackin), Andy (Scott) is very unfortunate at the back post and ideally one of those two chances leads us in at half-time at 1-1 and it's a totally different game."

Kearney will be hoping they can reverse the result against the same opposition at the same venue in next month’s BetMcLean Cup final, where he could have a few injured players back available for selection.

"It's been the same cohort of 12 or 13 players that has carried us through the last six weeks,” he said.

“We could do with a few bodies back and ideally we're hoping to get a few back in the next week or so. We will get a good week of training and get a few extra bodies out there."

Midfielder Jamie Glackin, who was handed a 10-game ban by the Irish FA during the week, took to the pitch from the start against the Blues.

Coleraine have appealed the suspension and Kearney wasn’t able to add much comment on the situation.

"We're not allowed to comment on it,” he added. “The appeal is in and we just have to see what way that goes."