By Richard Petrie

Ciaran Martyn scores the opening goal of the game for Glentoran

Glentoran defeated Coleraine 4-1 in a penalty shootout to win the Co-operative Insurance Cup final after the match ended 2-2 following extra-time.

Ciaran Martyn lobbed the ball over Davy O'Hare in the sixth minute but Darren Boyce fired a left-foot shot into the corner of the net a minute later.

Rory Patterson made it 2-1 with a cool finish on 33 minutes but Colin Nixon nodded in the equaliser on 45 minutes.

Penalty shootout misses by Aaron Canning and Darren Boyce were decisive.

Stephen Dooley turned Jason Hill inside out and fired a right-foot shot against the base of the post, with goalkeeper James Taylor beaten, in the fourth minute.

Martyn broke the deadlock two minutes later when he ran onto a looping ball over the defence by Gary Hamilton and executed a delicate lob over the head of Davy O'Hare.

The pulsating start to the game continued when Boyce levelled a minute later.

The former Glens winger ran onto a neat pass from Patterson and rifled a low left-foot shot across Taylor and into the corner of the net.

The Bannsiders went in front again thanks to Patterson's 32nd goal of the season in the 33rd minute.

Dooley again bamboozled full-back Hill and then slid the ball through for Patterson to fire coolly into the corner of the net.

Colin Nixon celebrates after scoring Glentoran's equaliser

Nixon equalised a minute into added time when he nodded home Hamilton's corner at the far post.

Coleraine had the first chance of the second half but Patterson's drive was well palmed away by Taylor.

Kyle Neill sliced a left-foot effort wide of the post and then Hamilton shot straight at O'Hare.

O'Hare then tipped over a backward header from substitute Dean Fitzgerald and Richard Clarke headed home Hamilton's resultant corner but his effort was disallowed for a foul inside the penalty area.

The Oval outfit almost secured the cup two minutes from time when Hamilton's corner hit Gareth Harkin but Kyle McVey cleared the ball off the line.

Hamilton should have done better from Neill's corner, heading over when left unmarked.

The first period of extra-time failed to yield a clear goalscoring opportunity but the Glens went close 15 seconds into the second period.

Michael Hegarty deflected Hamilton's shot goalwards and O'Hare made a brilliant diving save.

Hamilton scored the first penalty of the shootout, but teenage Coleraine substitute Canning blasted his spot-kick over the bar.

Neill, McVey and Daryl Fordyce successfully converted their penalties before Boyce hit the post.

Mattie Burrows scored the penalty which made the final tally 4-1.

Coleraine: O'Hare, Beverland, Hegarty, McVey, Boyce, Patterson, McCallion, Carson, Watt, Harkin, Dooley.
Substitutes: McLaughlin, Tolan, Tommons, Gibson, Canning.

Glentoran: James Taylor, McGovern, Nixon, Johnny Taylor, Hill, Gillespie, Clarke, Martyn, Neill, Hamilton, Halliday.
Substitutes: Morris, Burrows, Fitzgerald, Ward, Fordyce.

Referee: Mark Courtney

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