POST-MATCH VERDICT: Ruaidhri Higgins feeling 'ecstatic' as Bannsiders reach Irish Cup final
Ruaidhri Higgins dedicated Coleraine’s Irish Cup semi-final win against Larne to everyone connected with the club.
The Bannsiders ensured they would face Dungannon Swifts in the showpiece decider after edging out the Invermen via extra-time at Windsor Park.
Here’s what Higgins had to say after the 2-1 win.
WHAT’S YOUR INITIAL ASSESSMENT?
"Ecstatic for everyone connected to the club...our players, our staff, our supporters, Dale (CEO), Henry (owner), Henry's family.
"Just everyone really connected to the club, all the backroom staff that nobody really sees that do such a brilliant job and there's so many of them.
"I'm just ecstatic for everybody that we can have a big, big day to look forward to in early May.
FELT YOU WERE DESERVING WINNERS?
“I felt that, aye.
"When we were 1-0 up, just before Larne scored, we weren't brilliant in that period.
"But then when Larne scored, strangely enough, we took control of the game back again.
"But I thought in extra time, we definitely looked the team in the ascendancy,
"Shevlin misses a brilliant, brilliant chance in the first half of extra time and then he goes and does what he does in the second half of extra time to get us into the final.
AN ENTIRE SQUAD PERFORMANCE?
"A hundred percent.
"Shevlin’s been injured, as we know, he damaged his ribs against Cliftonville, so he's only trained for a couple of days.
“But you look at the impact that all the substitutions had in the game.
"Young Senan Devine, the level of maturity. I know he only played 15 minutes or whatever it was, but the level of maturity that he played with
"All the substitutions made an impact and there was a few outstanding individual performances within the game as well.
“But I felt, actually, as the game went on, we got stronger and stronger….and I’m extremely proud.
"This is our first year and people sometimes forget that.
"This is our first year together as a new ownership, new players, new staff, all the above.
"And I know there's a lot of work to do, but if we could pick up the trophy in early May, it would be a brilliant start together and that's the ambition now. It has to be.