Coleraine Manager Dean Shiels Praises Matthew Shevlin’s Success in Full-Time Setup

Coleraine manager Dean Shiels has stated that Matthew Shevlin, the club’s leading goalscorer, is among the players who are “flourishing” within the full-time operational structure implemented by the club for the current season, a first in its history. Shevlin, who previously played for Linfield and Ballymena United, has once more ascended to the top ranks of the Irish Premiership’s goalscoring list, having netted 12 league goals to date this season. His most recent scoring effort was a brace during the Bannsiders’ 4-0 victory against Loughgall in their previous match. The team managed by Shiels currently occupies seventh place in the Premiership standings, having secured three victories in their last four league fixtures. Shiels expressed his admiration for the prolific striker’s current form, stating, “There’s no doubt he’s one of the best forwards in the league.” He continued, “He is a threat constantly and we’re very lucky to have him. The hardest part of football is putting the ball in the net and he’s certainly doing that at the moment.” The manager further elaborated on Shevlin’s impact, adding, “He’s a nightmare to play against for opponents. We slightly adjusted certain elements of how we attacked in recent games to try and put the ball in the box earlier and he’s thriving off that.” The Coleraine manager commended Shevlin’s dedication to the sport, evident in both his match performances and training sessions. Shiels elaborated on Shevlin’s professional qualities, stating, “He’s a pleasure to work with and coach. We’re always doing extra in regards to his finishing and his decision-making in the final third.” He continued, “We do individual analysis with him about his hold-up play – he’s one that has really flourished in relation to turning full-time.” Shiels concluded, “He had a very good career and job but his appetite to become a professional footballer was huge. You can see that in the way he plays, he’s infectious, he’s a massive team player.” Shiels expressed his desire for his team to maintain their improving form as the demanding Christmas period approaches. He commented on the team’s recent progress, saying, “I think there’s been a shift in performances, a shift in mentality and then a shift in results. I think we’ve got a bit of momentum and we want to kick on now. “Confidence is high and the league is so congested that if you can put a run together you can really benefit from that.” The club from Ballycastle Road is scheduled to play Crusaders in their upcoming top-tier match on Sunday. They are eager to retaliate for two 2-1 losses suffered away from home against Declan Caddell’s squad, one in the league in October and another in the BetMcLean Cup’s last 16 in November. Shiels highlighted the team’s motivation for the upcoming game, stating, “The two performances against Crusaders were very good but we got nothing from them and that’s something we want to correct.” He added, “Seaview is a difficult to place to go to but hopefully at home it will be a different story and we can play on the front foot and try and get one over on them this time.” He concluded, “We have to use that hurt that we had of Crusaders beating us twice as motivation to put it right on Sunday.”