Former Everton midfielder Eunan O’Kane delivered a brace of goals to shoot Coleraine into the top half of the Carling Premiership table last night.

In a Showgrounds gale the Bannsiders blew Glenavon away with a stunning second half display.

Prolific striker Rory Patterson, a four-goal sensation in the rout of champions Glentoran, returned from a one-match ban to help turn the tables on former Coleraine boss Marty Quinn.

Patterson was in sparkling form, grabbing his 16th goal of the season after the break to put Coleraine on their way.

Afterwards O’Kane, a Milk Cup winner with Northern Ireland's Under-19s, revealed that a frank dressing room discussion a few weeks ago helped turn Coleraine’s season.

He said: “We talked about the mistakes we had been making and worked on them. Now we are back in the groove.”

Coleraine threatened in the first period. Keeper Tuda Murphy punched out Patterson’s shot after a sweet pass from O’Kane and defender Marc Mukendi beat the keeper, lifting a shot over him, only to see Patterson blast the ball home from an offside position.

Coleraine’s class was unquestionable. When Patterson’s 22nd minute shot was deflected for a corner, O’Kane unloaded a rising shot which King steered away from the goal with his upper arm but penalty appeals were rejected.

Then Glenavon had another close shave. Ryan Harpur headed O’Kane’s lofted corner onto the underside of the crossbar after Murphy failed to get near the ball on the goal line.

Before half-time Gareth Harkin and O’Kane linked up to present Darren Boyce with an opening but while he clipped his cross shot past Murphy, the ball ran agonisingly wide.

Coleraine’s defence was exposed when Trevor Molloy brilliantly met King’s cross in front of goal just before the interval. The striker, with his back to goal, flicked an overhead shot over the bar from six yards.

Boyce missed chances early in the second half before Patterson opened Coleraine’s account rifling home a shot from close range from Stephen Carson’s pinpoint delivery in the 59th minute.

Brilliant Boyce set up O’Kane for the second 10 minutes later with the ex-Everton reserve squeezing his shot past Murphy from a tight angle.

O’Kane deliverd again seven minutes later. Boyce fed Patterson on the left flank and he hoisted a cross to the far side where O’Kane controlled the ball and flashed a controlled finish past the despairing keeper.

Coleraine: O’Hare, Beverland, McVey, Mukendi, Harkin, O’Kane (Dooley 84), Hegarty, McCallion (Tommons 90), Carson, Boyce (Tolan 84), Patterson. Unused subs. Crossan, Canning.

Glenavon: Murphy, Campbell, Magee, Haughey, Turkington, Harpur (Liggett 72), Walsh, McDonagh, King, Molloy, Liggett (Costello 72). Unused subs. Carvill, Campbell, Gracey.

Referee: Trevor Moutray, Belfast.