Match Report
In the standings it was Coleraine 1st on 15 points, Crusaders 2nd on 10 — separated by 5. Crusaders ranked just 23rd in the league on five-round form despite their 2nd table position. Against a league average of 1.46 goals per team per game, Coleraine ran at 4.2 scored and 1.2 conceded, Crusaders at 2 and 1.8.
The head-to-head ledger counts 17 games: 5 Coleraine wins, 9 for Crusaders, 3 draws, at 2.53 goals per meeting. Hosting has counted for little in this fixture — the home side has won only 41% of those meetings.
The Showgrounds staged the fixture, a ground that holds 2,496. Crusaders led 1-0 at the break, and the second half added 5 goals for the 5-1 full-time score.
Goal scorers
Coleraine: Matthew Shevlin (66'), Joel Cooper (46'), Mark Connolly (57'), Joel Cooper (65'), Joel Cooper (90' og) · Crusaders: Fraser Bryden (36')
Key stats
Possession: Coleraine 74% · Crusaders 26% · Total shots: 29-14 · On target: 12-6 · Corners: 8-4