Coleraine captain Lyndon Kane has declared that the Bannsiders' Irish Cup triumph is just the beginning of a golden era, after his side clinched a thrilling 3-2 victory over Dungannon Swifts to lift the trophy for the first time since 2018.
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. Matthew Shevlin opened the scoring with a clinical finish, before Joel Cooper doubled Coleraine's lead with a well-taken strike. Dungannon pulled one back through Paul Doyle, but Shevlin restored the two-goal cushion with his second of the game. A late goal from Swifts substitute Andy Mitchell set up a nervy finale, but Ruaidhri Higgins' men held firm to secure their seventh Irish Cup crown.
"They say great teams need to win trophies to be great teams, and I think this is the first of many," Kane said with a confident smile. "People will start to realise that we're not just here for one season — we're going to be here for many years, and we're only going to get better. The way everyone works from the top down, the endless hours the staff put in — we're finally seeing the fruits of that labour."
The victory caps a remarkable transformation for the club. In December 2024, Henry Ross took over as majority owner, sparking a wave of change that included a switch to a full-time professional model and the appointment of Ruaidhri Higgins as manager. In his first full season, Higgins has guided Coleraine to a second-place finish in the Irish Premiership and now silverware in the cup.
For Kane, the moment was deeply personal. "It's the best day of my life, to be honest," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "I've dreamt of this since I started playing for Coleraine. I know probably 75% of the people in the stands, and I know what it means to the town. The turnout today was the biggest we've ever had. To lift the trophy in front of them, as a Coleraine boy — it's unbelievable."
As the celebrations continue, one thing is clear: this Coleraine side is hungry for more. And if their captain's words are anything to go by, the Irish Cup win is just the first chapter in what promises to be an exciting story.