Dean Shiels hails Coleraine players and fans as they battle the storm to earn late reward
Dean Shiels was full of praise for his Coleraine players and supporters after they braved the elements to earn a battling point at Dungannon Swifts.
The Bannsiders squad and their fans faced a tricky trip to Stangmore Park on Saturday after Storm Éowyn battered the province on Friday.
They had to endure diversions on the journey from the north coast to the Tyrone venue with roads still closed as a result of the storm which led to the kick-off being delayed.
But it was worth it in the end as the Bannsiders grabbed a last-gasp equaliser from top scorer Matthew Shevlin to earn their side a deserved share of the spoils ahead of their meeting against the same opponents in the Irish Cup next week.
"As the bus was driving up we were avoiding trees on roads and different things," explained Shiels. "Thankfully we got the message out that the match was delayed allowing the fans to get here as safely as possible.
"The fans were right behind us to the end. They’ve been superb but we need to keep giving them more. They want more and we want to give them more and that starts with the Irish Cup next week."
Shiels handed a debut to new signing Levi Ives, and he was pleased with his performance and that of his squad as they bounced back from Tomas Galvin's first half opener for the hosts.
"Levi was cramping up," said Shiels when asked about the defender's late withdrawal in the game. "He’s had a really tough schedule recently but he was superb.
"First half he was dynamic, getting forward, putting crosses in, dealing with one v ones, everything we wanted from him and that’s why we brought him to the club. He’s gonna be a big player for this club.
"I think as a whole our performance was really good today but massively disappointed not to win. I think we can use that going into next week."
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