Larne beat Glentoran for first home win of season

Larne secured their first home win of the Irish Premiership season by defeating Glentoran 2-0 at Inver Park on Friday night.

An Andy Ryan penalty in first-half stoppage time after the striker had been brought down by Frankie Hvid inside the area sent the hosts in a goal to the good at the interval.

Matty Lusty shrugged off the challenge of defender Paddy McClean and rifled home a low left-foot shot into the bottom corner of the net in the 51st minute to secure the three points for the back-to-back league champions.

After the start of their domestic top flight campaign was delayed by European commitments, Tiernan Lynch's side have now won two and drawn two of their five Premiership fixtures to date.

Glentoran's campaign so far has been a mixed one with four victories, four defeats and a draw leaving them fourth in the table ahead of Saturday's programme of five matches.

Linfield, who lead Cliftonville on goal difference at the top of the table, host Carrick Rangers, while the Reds travel to take on in-form Ballymena United.

Larne players congratulate Andy Ryan after he scored from the penalty spot

Champions too strong for Glens

Larne have now won seven matches in a row against the Glens and after a dull start to the game the outcome was rarely in doubt.

The first chance of the game came after just three minutes when Chris Gallagher threw himself in front of a close-range James Singleton strike at a corner.

That was not a sign of things to come as the first half became a war of attrition with plenty of meaty tackles but chances in short supply.

Hvid met a Daniel Amos corner in stoppage time but couldn't keep it down and he would then send Andy Ryan to the turf in the box with an ill-timed slide tackle just before the whistle.

Ryan dusted himself down and coolly sent Gyollai the wrong way with the last kick of the half to give the hosts a lead at the break.

That advantage was extended six minutes after the restart as Lusty outpaced McClean to get on the end of Gallagher's pass before coolly slotting past the advancing Glens stopper.

This seemed to take the air out of the visitors' sails and it could have been three mere moments later when Lusty again showed McClean a clean pair of heels and slid in Ryan. However, Gyollai denied him well from inside the box.

Larne were fairly comfortable for the remainder of the game but Jay Donnelly should have done better with a free header from a late corner while Larne will feel aggrieved not to have a third as a Ryan shot appeared to have crossed the line before McClean could clear.

However, the Inver Reds returned to winning ways while Glentoran missed the chance to move to the summit of the league standings.