Matthew Shevlin a 'pleasure to work with' and 'one of the best around'

Coleraine boss Dean Shiels has hailed Matthew Shevlin as a "pleasure to work with" and "one of the best" strikers in Irish League football right now.

Shevlin has stormed to the top of the Irish Premiership scoring charts with 12 goals, seven of which came in his last four games.

It has been a prolific spell for the Showgrounds hitman, and it's no coincidence that Coleraine's form has also enjoyed an upturn in fortunes.

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Shiels' side have won three of their last four Premiership games ahead of Sunday's home clash with Crusaders, which is set to be shown live on Sky Sports.

Asked what Shevlin was like to work with, Shiels beamed: "I think he is one of our best defenders as well. The way he plays when the other team has the ball, he is a nightmare for opponents.

"We slightly adjusted elements of how we try to attack in recent games, like getting the ball into the box earlier from certain areas. And Matthew is thriving off that.

"He is a pleasure to work with. He is always out doing extra on his finishing and decision-making in the final third. We do individual analysis with Matthew about his hold-up play.

"He is one who has really flourished since moving full-time. He had a very good career but his appetite to become a professional footballer is huge. His approach is infectious and he is a massive team player and a pleasure to coach."

Shevlin is often overlooked when the discussion around the Irish Premiership's top strikers is aired, but his stats prove he is currently the man to beat.

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Shiels is reluctant to draw comparisons with other clubs, but he admits Coleraine are "very lucky" to have the 25-year-old former Ballymena United and Linfield man in their ranks.

"I don't like comparing other teams. There is no doubt he is one of the best forwards in our league. I think his numbers since he joined Coleraine are very high, in terms of goals per game," Shiels said.

"I think he is a constant threat and we are very lucky to have him. But I wouldn't want to concentrate too much on Matthew. We have other players doing well.

"But the hardest part in football is putting the ball in the net and he is certainly doing that at the moment."

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