The Scottish love the yuletide period and a dram or two were certainly raised to Kevin Kelbie down by the Braid on Boxing Day. The Stirling man knocked home the all-important second goal after a bizarre own-goal from Paddy McLaughlin gave Ballymena United a fifth win on the bounce.

Coming against Coleraine made it all the sweeter for Kelbie, who was determined to give the Sky Blue faithful a merry Christmas, after a summer of discontent.

His much talked about move to Linfield never materialised and his subsequent dismissal of any talk of a January move to Windsor Park reaffirmed his commitment.

He will be running out at Windsor on New Year’s Day where he will be hoping to repeat the double he notched up against the Blues earlier in the season.

Kelbie is certainly on a good run, his determined effort against the Bannsiders making it seven league goals for the campaign.

“I think it was right for me to come out and commit myself to the club,” he stated.

“In the summer it was different but we’re halfway through the season, we were near the bottom of the league and I’m not a quitter and wouldn’t leave the club.

“I said to the gaffer I was happy to stay and that’s what I wanted to do because I enjoy playing here.

“The people around the club have given me so much, so it’s nice to give them something back.”

It’s five wins on the trot now for the Sky Blues, and Kelbie would love the joy of six against the Blues.

“You can see confidence in the team and things are coming off for us now,” explained the former Alloa man.

“You can see with the own goal as earlier in the season that would have gone over the bar but you need the wee rub of the green sometimes.

“There has been no change in the gaffer’s team-talks, but when you get a win everyone gets that bit more confidence, and there’s a feel-good factor.

“It’s a tough one at Windsor. They had a good win on Boxing Day and will be full of confidence but we have nothing to fear so we’ll go down there, do what we’ve been doing and hopefully come away lucky.”