Dean Shiels offers simple solution to Coleraine's incredible winless run at Mourneview Park

Dean Shiels insists there is an easy way for Coleraine to fix their poor record at Mourneview Park and that's by winning there. It may sound simple but at this stage the Bannsiders would take anything to turn around their fortunes as their last win away to Glenavon came nearly five years ago.

Goals from Jamie Glackin and Eoin Bradley saw Coleraine run out 2-0 winners over the Lurgan Blues in January 2020. Remarkably earlier that season they had also recorded a 4-0 win at Glenavon but since then it has been slim pickings.

The Lurgan Blues also won 2-0 at The Showgrounds earlier this season and Shiels says it's up to his side to put the record straight. "We need to put that right, that's on us," he said when asked about Coleraine's record at Mourneview. "The only way to rectify that is by going there and winning.

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"Stats mean nothing when the whistle's blown. We've got to go there with the mindset that we're going to win the game and the players are fully focused. They've trained hard this week and we're prepared and ready to go."

Shiels is also wary of the new manager bounce as Paddy McLaughlin prepares to take charge of his first home league game. "I think we were caught at Carrick with Stephen Baxter's first home game and we won't get caught cold again this week in regards to the new manager and players wanting to make an impression," he said. "Our players should be wanting to make an impression so that should be their mentality."

Shiels will have to shuffle his backline once again with Kyle McClelland missing out following his sending off in last week's defeat to Crusaders. "It's been difficult for us as we've been chopping and changing in certain areas of the pitch," he said. "The last eight games – we've had to change our back four in six of those games. The only two games we didn't have to change were Dungannon and Glentoran. Trying to maintain continuity in the defensive line is something we're really striving for."

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