Coleraine's Title Push: McMenamin's Departure and New Signings

Ruaidhri Higgins insists Conor McMenamin’s short-lived spell at Coleraine has ended in the right way for all parties – and believes the reshuffle could yet strengthen their title push.

The winger joined from St Mirren in June, only to leave for Irish Premiership rivals Glentoran just 10 weeks later in one of the most eye-catching moves of the window. The deal sent midfielder Joe Thomson in the opposite direction to the Showgrounds, giving Coleraine a different type of weapon in the middle of the park.

McMenamin, speaking after sealing his move to the Oval, said his time at Coleraine “wasn't meant to be”. Higgins didn’t argue.

“Sometimes in football and just life in general, things don't go as expected or according to plan,” said the Coleraine boss, speaking after being named August’s manager of the month by the Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Association. “It's certainly not a personal issue with Conor at all.”

The 31-year-old had been open about the strain of not relocating from Downpatrick to the north coast, stressing that family and personal matters lay behind his decision. The daily grind told its own story: around 75 miles each way, roughly a 90‑minute drive every day.

For Higgins, that was never going to last.

He called the commute “not sustainable” and revealed the pair had been in regular dialogue as the situation came to a head. “Conor and I had regular conversations over the last couple of weeks actually,” he said. “We've come to this conclusion and I think it's best for everyone.”

If McMenamin’s exit left a hole out wide, it also opened a door in the centre of the pitch.

Coleraine had been stretched in midfield, with injuries to Mark Coyle and Rowan McDonald biting into their depth. Thomson’s arrival now gives Higgins another trusted option alongside the likes of Will Patching and Dylan Boyle – and this is a player he knows well from their time together at Derry City.

“Joe is so different to the players that we have. He plays with an edge and he has a goal in him,” Higgins said. “He's very much box-to-box and all-action, and I've worked with him before so I know what I'm getting.”

The deadline-day drama did not end there. While the McMenamin–Thomson switch grabbed the headlines, Coleraine also moved decisively to land Adam Brooks from Crusaders, a signing Higgins has earmarked as a long-term project with serious upside.

Brooks, a former Celtic striker, spent much of last season out wide at Seaview but had started the new campaign strongly through the middle, including a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Portadown. That performance only reinforced Higgins’ long-standing interest in the 22-year-old Scottish forward.

He calls Brooks “a young player with huge talent” and then goes into detail.

“For not the biggest lad in the world he scores good headed goals, with his right foot, left foot, he can score from distance and inside the six yard box,” said Higgins. “He's got good awareness and so much to his game. I think if he was six foot two he would have never played in this league because he would be somewhere else.

“We see it as an investment and someone we can develop, and I've no doubt that Adam can kick on and once he establishes himself here, it wouldn't surprise me if he went on to another level in the coming years.”

Higgins remembers clearly watching Brooks for Crusaders at Portadown last season. The impression was instant. “Straight away I really liked what I was seeing,” he said. “I know he's a brilliant boy and he played out of position a lot last year, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's a top, top centre forward.

“He's very like a Robbie Keane sort of mould and that type of centre forward, and there's a lot I like about him.”

All of this is happening against a backdrop of rising expectation at the Showgrounds.

Coleraine finished just three points behind eventual champions Larne last season after a powerful late surge, and the club’s investment and move to full-time football have changed the conversation around them. The Bannsiders now sit firmly among the favourites for the Gibson Cup.

There is also history tugging at the story. Coleraine’s only league title came in 1974. A second would land in the club’s centenary year.

“To me it's trying to win the second league title in the club's history, and it would be extra-special if you could do it in the centenary year,” Higgins said. “On a daily basis, I put myself under massive pressure and that's why we are here. We want to be part of a successful, ambitious club.”

So far, he is backing up the words. Coleraine are unbeaten after four league games, with three wins and a draw – that stalemate coming against champions Larne – and three clean sheets in the bank.

Higgins describes himself as “very lucky” and “loving” life at Coleraine, but he is not getting carried away. “We're obviously really happy with the start, and we're particularly happy with the three clean sheets out of four, and we're scoring goals again which is pleasing,” he said. “We're four games in, so we'll not get too excited, but the players have been fantastic and it's a joy to work with them and the staff on a daily basis.”

Next up is a trip to Crusaders on Saturday at 18:00 BST, where Brooks could quickly face his old club and Thomson may begin to stamp his authority in midfield.

The squad has changed shape, the stakes have risen, and the centenary clock is ticking. Now Coleraine have to prove this really is the group that can turn all that ambition into a long-awaited second title.