Stewart Nixon: That one was for Jerry

On Friday the forward attended a memorial service for his good friend Jerry Thompson, who sadly passed away this time last year.

The pair were good friends from their time together at Carrick Rangers. And Nixon revealed he told Jerry’s dad that he would score against Warrenpoint as a tribute to his friend.

Speaking after his dramatic winner the 23-year-old was clearly emotional but happy he could pay tribute to Jerry.

“It’s been a massive week for me personally,” said Nixon.

“It was Jerry’s remembrance yesterday and I was speaking to his dad and I told him I was going to score for him. So that goal was for him today.”

It looked as though Coleraine had let the opportunity to pick their first win in five slip away as Stuart Hutchinson netted an 89th minute equaliser for the visitors.

But two minutes into stoppage time a clever flick on by James McLaughlin sent Nixon in on goal and he showed great composure to fire in the winner.

“Before we went in at the start of the game I did a few shooting drills with coach Paul Owens,” he explained.

“His famous phrase is “down the gulley” and thankfully that’s where I put it.

“I actually thought the defender was going to bring me down and I probably didn’t get the cleanest connection on the ball, but here we got the three points so I can’t complain.

“Oran said to me to take the opportunity with both hands, but to be fair up until the goal I didn’t really feel I had done much to be honest.

“But if you go 89 minutes without playing well then you score the winner you’d take that every week.

“It gives me a personal boost as I haven’t scored since the Glenavon game and I’ve had a wee dip.”

Nixon is hoping the result can kick start the Bannsiders season after a bit of a slump.

“We have a resilience of fighting back, working hard together and it especially showed the character we have in the changing room,” he said.

“Especially after the recent results you do automatically think that we have dropped two points.

“It is going to be a massive boost as you can win 1-0, but to show character after the match went 1-1, it is different gravy.

“We’re delighted to have got the three points as we can move on and hopefully build on it next week.

“Training has been flying, it’s been rapid, finishing has been going well but it unfortunately wasn’t working on a Saturday.

“We just have to try and keep the momentum going now and give ourselves every chance. Hopefully that can spark a trigger to keep us going onto next week and further afield.”

Coleraine: Deane, Kane, Doherty, Lowry, McConaghie, Tweed, O’Donnell, Parkhill, Glackin, Traynor, Nixon. Subs: Gallagher, Douglas, Jarvis, McLaughlin, Bradley, Wilson, Allen

Warrenpoint Town: Sava, Deasy, Ball, Peers, McVeigh, Dillon, O’Sullivan, McCaffrey, Swan, Hutchinson, Wallace. Subs: Coleman, O’Connor, Carroll, Mullen, Knox, Carson, Forsythe

Referee: Ross Dunlop