Oran Kearney believes Gareth Deane will get even better

The Bannsiders looked back to their old selves again after a dominant first half display against Warrenpoint Town.

Ben Doherty’s goal had given them a deserved lead, but the visitors stepped it up after the break.

It took a fantastic save by Deane past the hour mark to keep out a Danny Wallace header, which looked destined for the back of the net but for the keeper’s intervention.

It proved vital in the end as the hosts secured the three points after Stewart Nixon’s late strike, and Kearney praised Deane after the game.

“He’s a big presence and a big personality,” said the Coleraine boss.

“I’m not saying it’s been a tough start for him, but for him to come into the scenario that we’ve come into which is unknown for us, sort of, within the last few games, but he’s the one big player where I see – and probably similar to Chris (Johns) when he first arrived – all he needed was games because the star quality is there.

“The one thing I know is that he will get better with every game and he’ll get stronger with every game where I start to see him coming off his line now, he’s starting to come and collect and punch.

“That is just match practice, comes from us encouraging him.

“But more just comes from him playing every week.

“That save – he hadn’t had a huge amount to do in the game - but that’s the sign of a great keeper when he pulls off a save like that.

“With more and more games that will come back to him naturally.”

The Bannsiders had lost their last four games on the bounce without even scoring a goal, and Kearney was pleased to see that unwanted run come to an end.

“When you’re on a bad run you crave a turning point,” he said

“You’re looking for something to stem the flow, to get us back up and running.

“I think more importantly, and especially at 0-0, was the most pleasing aspect for me where, until we got the goal, first half hour was exceptional.

“It was relentless, it was the way we wanted it to be, it was patient but urgent.

“To me, those are the things that are probably more fulfilling for me moving forward. For all that’s been said and everything else they don’t become bad players overnight.

“They do care, it has hurt them in the last couple of weeks and for me more than anything else that’s the thing that I’ll take the greatest pleasure out of.”