Coleraine manager Oran Kearney has been named Manager of the Month by the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association.

Kearney’s Coleraine had a 100% record in the month of January, claiming wins over Carrick Rangers, Dungannon Swifts, Larne and Crusaders. The 12-point haul has put them within touching distance of the top three.

A delighted Kearney said, “We’ve enjoyed a fantastic run of form in recent weeks after a sluggish start to the season.

“I always believed that we would rediscover our form because we have a capable squad. In October and November, we struggled with red cards and injuries. We endured a couple of tough weeks as a result of that.

“I’m proud of the boys because they’ve got us out of that lull and put together a great run of results. They deserve the credit for this award, as it was their hard work that turned things around.”

But can Coleraine – who haven’t lost a match in two months – challenge for the league title?

Upon collecting his 12th NIFWA Manager of the Month award, Kearney said, “It’s hard to make predictions or set targets for this season because we could have another 23 league games to play, or we could play far fewer than that depending on outside factors.

“It looks like we will be playing Saturday-Tuesday for the foreseeable future, which is a real challenge for all the clubs. I’ve certainly had to rotate my team more than normal. All we can do is try and get as many points on the board as possible and see where that takes us.”