Shea Gordon swept home his first goal for the club to earn three points in the East Antrim derby away to Carrick Rangers on Friday evening.
The former Partick Thistle man found the net from the edge of the box to clinch all three points and make it four wins from their opening six league games.
The first half proved to be a scrappy affair for long spells, as the two derby rivals battled for control.
After a quiet opening 15 minutes, Larne threatened following some good work down the right flank from Paul O’Neill.
The former Cliftonville striker dug out a cross from close to the byline and it came agonisingly close to being prodded in by Leroy Millar but the midfielder was just unable to convert six yards, at full stretch.
The game was far from one way traffic however and at the other end Carrick could and maybe should have broken the deadlock on 23 minutes.
David Cushley’s free-kick from deep on the left flank was met by the head of Emmett McGuckin at the back post, but he was unable to steer his header on target from the edge of the six yard box.
Despite good spells of possession for the away side, the next opportunity didn’t arrive until stoppage time at the end of the first half.
Paul O’Neill linked up with Tomas Cosgrove on the right before the latter pulled the ball back for Mark Randall 12 yards out, but the English midfielder dragged his short just wide of Ross Glendinning’s left-hand post.
Nine minutes into the second half Randall threatened again, this time creating the opportunity for himself as he jinked and turned inside the Carrick penalty area, before a brave block prevented what looked like the opener.
Larne were beginning to control proceedings in the second half but they were struggling to create many chances of really threaten the home side.
Boss Tiernan Lynch made two attacking subs in the space of seven minutes, introducing Daniel Kearns and Andy Scott in a bid to break the deadlock.
He was rewarded when they did just that with 11 minutes to go through Shea Gordon.
Mark Randall, who was in the thick of the action for the visitors, swung in a corner from the left which was headed out to the edge of the area where Gordon unleashed a fantastic first-time effort which whistled past Ross Glendinning.
It was a lovely, clean strike from the former Motherwell midfielder, who scored his first since joining the club from Partick Thistle in the summer.
Three minutes later they probably should have wrapped up the points when Daniel Kearns set Lee Bonis clear down the left but he fired just wide of the far post, as Larne held on for the points.
Carrick Rangers: Ross Glendinning, Forsythe, Ervin, Gordon, Cushley (’82 McKiernan), McGuckin, Allen, Cherry (’50 Kalla), Reece Glendinning, Tilney, Anderson (’82 Gawne)
Unused subs: Hogg, Surgenor, Waite, Gillen
Larne: Ferguson, Want, Randall, O’Neill (’70 Kearns), Bonis, Doherty (‘77 Scott), Donnelly, Gordon, Bolger, Millar, Cosgrove
Unused subs: McIntyre, Kelly, Watson, Scott Hutchison, Hughes
Referee: Shane Andrews
