Oran Kearney calls on Coleraine to get back to usual high standards after Carrick Rangers "anomaly"

Coleraine boss Oran Kearney is hoping his side can put an “anomaly” performance behind them and get back to their usual high standards when reigning Premiership champions Larne rock up at the Showgrounds.

After beating Ballymena United and Loughgall in their opening two league fixtures, the Bannsiders fell to a shock 2-0 defeat away to Carrick Rangers on Tuesday evening with matters further compounded by Jamie Glackin’s sending off following two bookable offences.

Larne haven’t won any of their last five matches away at Coleraine with the last success coming in November 2020 thanks to a brace from Davy McDaid, who joined Kearney’s men this summer.

"I'm not even looking a reaction to be honest because there's a level when you play for Coleraine and there's a level of expectation, there's a level of attitude and application and everything that's on the pitch,” he said. “We don't want reactions - we want that level of application the whole time.

“In simple terms, all I want on Saturday is that we go back to the Coleraine that played against Loughgall and the Coleraine that played against Ballymena and the Coleraine that's been the Coleraine for quite a period of time.

“Tonight (against Carrick) for me is an anomaly

“I've got to be fair to the players and say they're only human and it's very rare I stand out here and have to have a conversation like this.

“I'll not need to say anything to the lads on Saturday.

“I fully expect that we'll get right back on it on Saturday again.”

This will be the third game in the span of a week for Coleraine and eight days for Larne, who defeated Ballymena United on Tuesday to go top of the table.

They’ll be hoping to have top-scorer Matthew Shevlin fit after he missed the last two matches with an ankle injury while Glackin will be absent.

"The second one (yellow), I think, he goes to ground but he's adamant that he puts the brakes on and pulls out of it and believes that Jack has made the contact,” reflected Kearney. “There's no way of appealing it anyway as it was two yellows, so, we'll just have to take our medicine.

“It's the repercussions, not just the damage that it's done for the last 30 minutes but it's also planning ahead for Saturday

“It will give an opportunity for someone else to step up and stake that claim.”