Crusaders FC were handed a heavy 4-1 defeat by Coleraine in the Irish Premiership on Saturday. The visitors were overwhelmed early at the Showgrounds, conceding three goals inside the opening nine minutes.
Coleraine's teenage midfielder Senan Devine opened the scoring after just one minute. Scottish winger Jay Henderson added a second four minutes later, and striker Matthew Shevlin made it three by the eighth minute. Devine then completed his double seven minutes into the second half, finishing a move involving Dylan Boyle and Rob Slevin. Crusaders' sole reply came from 15-year-old substitute Michael Mulholland late on, with Owen Wardell providing the assist.
The hosts controlled the opening period completely. After Devine's rapid opener, Ben Doherty supplied the cross for Shevlin's headed goal. Coleraine continued to press, with Aidan Wilson and Will Patching both forcing saves from Crusaders goalkeeper Shea Callister before the break. Manager Ruaidhri Higgins saw his Bannsiders execute a swift attacking plan that left the Crusaders defense exposed repeatedly.
This result propelled Coleraine to the top of the Irish Premiership, displacing Dungannon Swifts. For Crusaders, managed by Declan Caddell, it was a first loss in four matches. The club finished 11th in the final 2025 table, accumulating 26 points from 33 games. Their goal difference of -34, with 38 scored and 72 conceded, highlights defensive issues they will want to address.
Senan Devine was the standout player with his two goals. Jay Henderson and Matthew Shevlin provided further attacking threat for the winners. For Crusaders, the moment belonged to teenager Michael Mulholland, who marked his introduction with a well-taken consolation. Goalkeeper Shea Callister was busy throughout, while his counterpart Lewis Webb had a relatively quiet evening in the Coleraine goal.
Attention now turns to the next fixture, an away match against Portadown on December 5th. Portadown finished 9th in the 2025 standings, setting up a competitive encounter. Crusaders will aim to bounce back from this setback and improve on their recent form, which ended the last campaign with a sequence of DWWWW. The full schedule of upcoming games is available on our fixtures page. The squad, which includes young talents like Mulholland, can be viewed in detail on the squad list.
