Coleraine FC took complete control of their Irish Premiership clash with Crusaders at the Showgrounds, racing into a 3-0 half-time lead after three goals in eight minutes.
The tone was set inside 53 seconds when Senan Devine opened the scoring, and the pressure never really eased. Four minutes later, Jay Henderson doubled the advantage before Matthew Shevlin made it three shortly after, leaving Crusaders with a mountain to climb before the interval.
How Coleraine built the lead
The key to the first-half dominance was the speed of the breakthrough. Once Devine struck so early, Coleraine were able to play with confidence and purpose, while Crusaders were forced to chase the game almost from the start.
That kind of early momentum can change the whole feel of a match, and Coleraine made sure of that with a burst that left the visitors reeling. By the time the teams went in at the break, the match had already been heavily shaped.
Crusaders look for a response
Coleraine were not finished there. In the second half, Senan Devine scored again to underline the home side's control.
Crusaders did at least create a flashpoint later on when Elliot Dunlop went down in the area, but referee Steven Gregg waved play on. With the article coming from Irish Premiership live updates, the focus remained on a first half that belonged entirely to Coleraine, who led 3-0 at the interval.
