Joel Cooper and Chris Shields secure BetMcLean Cup prize for Linfield

A crowd of over 11,000 had to wait until 49 minutes for the first goal to arrive as Joel Cooper nestled into the bottom corner, before Chris Shields netted from the spot 10 minutes later to seal the deal for David Healy’s side.

In truth, Oran Kearney’s failed to overly trouble the Linfield goal as they lost a second successive BetMcLean Cup decider.

The best they could offer came off two sights of goal through talisman Matthew Shevlin but neither could find a way past Chris Johns.

Linfield got out off the traps the quickest and threatened inside the first three minutes as Cooper showed neat footwork to burst into the box but his drive across the goal was grabbed by an alert Gareth Deane.

Four minutes later, Cooper would once again pick up possession 25 yards from goal but his arrowed drive fizzed past the near post.

However, the Bannsiders would weather that early storm and had a sight of goal when Stephen O’Donnell was unable to divert a header under the crossbar from Lee Lynch’s corner-kick.

Soon after, a good passage of play from Coleraine allowed Conor McKendry to arrow off-target from just outside the box.

On 25 minutes, Coleraine would go close again as Dean Jarvis released Jamie Glackin on the left-hand side and the midfielder cut the ball back for Shevlin, who had a strike saved by ex-Bannsiders custodian Johns.

Two minutes later, Matthew Clarke was tackled at the edge of the box, with Eetu Vertainen’s instinctive first time effort fizzing past the far post.

The second half would only be four minutes old when Linfield took the lead as the Bannsiders lost possession inside their own half.

This would be punished as Chris McKee timed a perfect ball for Cooper to latch on to and the ex-Oxford United ace picked his spot into the bottom corner.

Linfield would soon find themselves in cruise control on the hour mark as McKee was brought down inside the box by O’Donnell.

The resulting spot-kick would be taken by Shields, who calmly made no mistake from 12 yards.

Kearney turned to his bench and brought on Jack O’Mahony and Michael McCrudden.

But they never looked like scoring – just like in Coleraine’s three league meetings between the two clubs this season!

The last chance to set-up a grandstand finish would see Conor McDermott’s cross find Shevlin but his attempt failed to find the target.

A big boost for Linfield as they aim to continue to fight for the Gibson Cup prize.

LINFIELD: Johns, Roscoe, Shields, Callacher, Millar, Cooper, M.Clarke, McKee (Devine, 77), Finlayson, Mulgrew, Vertainen (McClean, 67).

Subs (not used): Walsh, Hall, Pepper, A.Clarke, Palmer.

COLERAINE: Deane, Kane, D.Jarvis, McKendry (A.Jarvis, 85), Carson, Farren (McCrudden, 74), O’Donnell, Lynch (O’Mahony, 70), Glackin, McDermott, Shevlin.

Subs (not used): Gallagher, Mullan, Brown, Lowry.

Referee: Lee Tavinder.