TEN-man Coleraine would be beaten at Inver Park as Larne collected the Gibson Cup…
By: Charlie Cooke
Oran Kearney made a host of changes for the contest as Martin Gallagher, Darren Cole, Andy Scott, Josh Carson, Jack Scott, Lee Lynch and David McDaid were drafted in.
After Paul O’Neill hit an early effort over the bar, the hosts would take the lead on 15 minutes. A defensive clearance landed at the boot of Micheal Glynn who hit an instinctive effort beyond Gallagher and into the top right corner.
Soon after, a slick move by Tiernan Lynch’s men resulted in Chris Gallagher’s through ball finding Dylan Sloan who was thwarted by the body of Gallagher. At the other end, the ball was fed into McDaid but he saw his lobbed effort drop just over the crossbar.
With 39 minutes played, Darren Cole was sent off after being adjudged to foul O’Neill in the box. Andy Ryan stepped up to the penalty spot and sent Gallagher the wrong way to double Larne’s lead.
The last action of the first-half saw another defensive mistake by the Bannsiders which saw O’Neill collect the ball and curl an effort beyond Gallagher for 3-0.
Within a minute of the start of the second-half, Larne would make it 4-0 as another poor clearance allowed O’Neill to have time and space to find the bottom left corner.
Coleraine – who were shooting into the stand which contained their supporters – would have a sight of goal on 54 minutes. McDaid regained possession of the ball on the right wing and squared to the onrushing Lynch whose shot unfortunately blazed over the woodwork.
On 65 minutes, a dangerous corner-kick by Jamie Glackin found Kieran Farren at the back post but the big defender failed to find the target.
Oran Kearney would then hand a senior debut to teenage striker Sam McClintock, who has been scoring at will for the club’s U20 side.
The last phase of action saw Larne awarded an indirect free-kick and Scott Allan scored from that to make the score line 5-0.
Coleraine are next in action as they visit Glentoran in the semi-final of the European play-offs.
LARNE: McAdams, Donnelly, Randall (Kearns ’56 mins), O’Neill (Allan ’80 mins), Bolger, Glynn (Smith ’56 mins), Graham, Sloan (Graham ’85 mins), Gallagher, Ryan (Hastings ’80 mins), Orozco
Subs Not Used: Brown (GK), Westendorf
COLERAINE: Gallagher, McKendry (Gaston ’25 mins), Lowry, McDaid (McClintock ’77 mins), Carson (Glackin ’61 mins), Farren, O’Donnell (Kane ’61 mins), Lynch, J. Scott, Cole, A. Scott (D. Jarvis ’61 mins).
Subs Not Used: Brown (GK), McGonigle.
Referee: Raymond Crangle