Dream night for Coleraine as Bannsiders stun Linfield hours after takeover of club is completed
Coleraine's Conor McKendry celebrates his goal against Linfield
Coleraine celebrated the first night of their takeover in sensational style with a 3-0 home win over title chasing Linfield.
Second half goals from Matthew Shevlin, Jamie McGonigle and Conor McKendry rocked David Healy’s side who could be four points behind Larne today if the champions win at Ballymena United.
The Blues are also likely to face further disciplinary action from the Irish FA after several flares were displayed at half-time and delayed the restart.
Coleraine’s new owners Ranald McGregor-Smith and Patrick Mitchell
Linfield have a suspended stadium ban on away fans hanging over them until the end of this month following sectarian chanting at away games at Cliftonville and Larne. Healy’s side are at Solitude on Tuesday. It was a perfect night for Oran Kearney’s side after news that the club was taken over by Bannsiders Holdings, with the club and Friends of Coleraine entering into an agreement with the organisation run by Ranald McGregor-Smith and Patrick Mitchell.
The pair have long been fans of the club and now assume ownership.
The deal comes in the same week that Sunday Life Sport revealed that an 11th-hour bid for the club came in from a group of investors with sporting interests in Canada, but the original takeover plan has gone ahead due to an exclusivity clause with the McGregor-Smith and Mitchell bid.
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