TEN-MAN BANNSIDERS EDGE VICTORY
Two goals at either end of the first half helped Coleraine defeat Glentoran at The Showgrounds despite playing the last half-an-hour with ten men.
The Bannsiders needed just five minutes to open the scoring when skipper Stephen O'Donnell was allowed the space to get on the end of Ben Doherty's free-kick to nod the ball past Dayle Coleing.
Glentoran might have levelled just before the half-hour mark when Bobby Burns found Robbie McDaid with a free-kick but he couldn't head home while, at the other end, Stephen Lowry's header from a Stewart Nixon right-sided cross was sent over.
But Coleraine extended their lead in first half stoppage time when Doherty ran onto a superbly delivered Lowry through ball to finish past the onrushing Coleing.
Coleraine were reduced to ten men just after the hour when James McLaughlin was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Burns, who had to be stretchered off as a result.
It took the Glens a little while to make their extra man count, but they eventually pulled a goal back on 89 minutes when Caolan Marron picked out substitute Jay Donnelly to head past Gareth Deane.
However, it was too little too late to spark any sort of revival for the visitors.
Coleraine: Deane, Kane, Doherty, Lowry, McLaughlin, Carson, McConaghie, Tweed, O'Donnell, Glackin, Nixon subs Gallagher (not used), Douglas (not used), Jarvis (not used), Wilson (replaced Glackin 90+5), Parkhill (replaced Nixon 85), Allen (not used), Tosh (not used)
Glentoran: Coleing, McCullough, Bigirimana, O'Neill, R. Donnelly, McDaid, Clucas, Burns, O'Connor, Marron, Cowan subs Morris (not used), Gallagher (not used), McDonagh (replaced O'Neill 61), Gorman (not used), Mitchell (not used), McClean (replaced Burns 67), J. Donnelly (replaced O'Connor 72)
Substitution 
Substitution 
