Coleraine striker Matthew Shevlin insists recent Cliftonville clashes will count for nothing in Sunday’s BetMcLean League Cup final shootout with the Reds at Windsor Park.
Oran Kearney’s Bannsiders have enjoyed big wins over the likes of league leaders Linfield, Glentoran, Crusaders and Larne this season.
But the only top flight club they have failed to beat in four meetings in all competitions are Cliftonville who lie second in the Danske Bank Premiership.
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Last week’s 2-1 loss to the Reds in the Irish Cup quarter-finals followed two other defeats in the league and a 0-0 draw at the Showgrounds in November.
You have to go back to 2-0 win at the end of last season, courtesy of two Ben Doherty penalties, to find the last time Coleraine beat Cliftonville.
Not that any of this concerns Shevlin who is chasing his first silverware with the Bannsiders since joining the club from Linfield in January 2021.
“Cliftonville are doing really well this season, but league form goes out the window when it comes to cup finals,” he said.
“This is why you play football, to play in these big games in front of big crowds and we’re really looking forward to it. We’ll approach the final full of confidence.”
Shevlin has already notched up 19 goals in all competitions, his highest return for a campaign, with six of them coming in the League Cup.
That haul included a hat-trick in a 6-1 semi-final win over Warrenpoint, making him the highest scorer in this season’s competition.
“Individually and as a team we’ve had our good spells this season and we want to finish the campaign off strongly,” said Shevlin.
“I’ve scored six goals in the League Cup this season and it would be great to add to that tally in the final.”
Shevlin has featured in two previous League Cup finals, with former club Ballymena United, losing both to Dungannon Swifts and Linfield.
The Swifts defeated the Sky Blues 3-1 in the 2018 showpiece at Windsor while Linfield edged the 2019 final thanks to a clinical strike from Andy Waterworth.
Shevlin, a substitute in both finals, said: “I’ve lost two League Cup finals during my time in the Irish League and those were frustrating experiences.
“Winning silverware in this final would be massive, both as a team and individually.
"It’s a big personal motivation to try and win this final and get my hands on a winner’s medal.”
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