Larne 5-1 Sirocco Works

LARNE'S second win in three days came on Wednesday night as the Inver Reds ran out 5-1 winners against Sirocco Works of the Amateur League.

Whilst Sirocco enjoyed good territory in the opening stages, the home side took the initiative with two early goals, both by Mark Craig.

The first came on 11 minutes, when a long throw by Adam Dick broke to the striker 10 yards from goal. Craig volleyed low to the keeper's right hand corner.

Four minutes later Craig doubled the tally. Davy Larmour played a fine defence splitting pass which left Craig one on one with Burns in the Works' goal. The ex Carrick and Ballyclare forward calmly steered the ball around the goalkeeper and into the net.

Sirocco's best chance of the opening period was from a 30 yard free kick on 28 minutes. Steven Hewitt struck the dead ball well and towards the top corner, but Brendan Quinn beat it away.

However, Larne got their third of the match on 34 minutes. A cleared corner was put back into the box by a Higgins cross on the left. Matthew Pollard nipped in ahead of the goalkeeper to nod home.

Seven minutes later, Pollard almost headed his second. Once again Higgins was involved when his looping header was flicked onto the bar by Pollard.

Once again, the standard of play dropped in the second half. However, Larne did score a fine fourth goal on 68 minutes.

Lee Thompson salvaged the ball from the by-line and played an accurate cut back to Craig Todd. The young striker buried the ball into the net with a good first time finish.

Following a number of substitutions which reduced the average age of the Larne team, Sirocco put more pressure on their hosts towards the end of the game. The pressure told as they grabbed a consolation goal 80 minutes. The ball broke to Hewitt after confusion in the Larne defence, and he placed a firm volley into the far corner of the net.

Allen Reid completed the scoring by netting for the fourth time this pre-season. The midfielder broke clear of the defence and finished well.

Larne's next match is on Friday 30 August, away to Glentoran at the Oval. The match kicks off at 7.30pm.

Larne: Quinn (Rice), Pollard, Dick, McDonald (Shields), Moore, McNally (Black), Higgins (Reid), McClean, White, Larmour (Todd), Craig (Thompson)

Sirocco Works: Burns, Fitzsimmons, Rutherford, P. Moore, McGlade, Cassidy, Stewart, Djalo, McDade, Horan, Hewitt
Subs: D. Moore, Graham, Stone, Birch, Armstrong, Green, Kincaid