Report by Peter Wilson
In their first pre-season training game behind closed doors, Larne comfortably saw off Crumlin United, firing 12 goals past their opponents with no reply.
It was a clinical display from the Invermen that will please boss Tiernan Lynch in their first outing of pre-season. Eight players in all were on the scoresheet with one goal each from Jeff Hughes, Tomas Cosgrove, Josh Robinson, Lee Lynch and Dean Jarvis, a brace from Davy McDaid and Mark Randall as well as a second half hat-trick from debutant Ronan Hale.
It took both sides a few minutes to settle into the game but it was the hosts who had the first of the opportunities; Davy McDaid putting the ball into Lee Lynch on six minutes but the ex-Sligo Rovers man hit it straight at the Crumlin keeper.
The first goal arrived just seven minutes later when Marty Donnelly played the ball into Lynch in the box with the midfielder slipping it through to Jeff Hughes who tapped in.
On 17 minutes, it was Donnelly with the corner from the right which Tomas Cosgrove got his head to to provide the second of the evening.
In the next five minutes, two further goals were added with Donnelly playing a part in and McDaid finishing both. For 3-0, Donnelly flicked the ball across the face of goal to McDaid who finished tidily four yards out. For number four, the winger played it over the defence into McDaid, who raced clear of the defence and slotted it past the Crumlin keeper.
It could have been five just before the half-hour mark when McDaid placed it nicely for Donnelly at the left post but he couldn’t connect. However six minutes later, the fifth goal did come after a Lynch corner came in from the left hand side and Josh Robinson tucked away at close range.
With four minutes left of the first half, Fuad Sule crossed in from outside the box into Donnelly who connected well but with his shot heading for the bottom left corner it was pushed away by the goalkeeper.
Larne made a number of changes at the break and Crumlin had their first chance on 53 minutes when number 11 made a clever run in behind the Larne defence and laid off to the United number nine but he couldn’t keep his shot on target.
Bang on the hour five became six when new signing Ronan Hale buried the ball in the back of the net with a sweet low strike from outside the box.
There were three additional goals to come in the next nine minutes. With 63 minutes gone, John Herron whipped a corner in and Mark Randall controlled it well before finishing nicely past the United stopper. On 66, one of the trialists swept a clever ball in across the face of goal with Hale bundling home for his second. On 69 minutes, two of the trialists combined to allow Randall to slide it in to complete his brace.
Randall could have made it 10 just three minutes after his second goal when Herron was fouled on the edge of the box but his free-kick, taken short with Dean Jarvis, slammed into the side-netting.
Former Accrington Stanley man, Andrew Scott was fouled 12 minutes from time. Jarvis took the free kick from 25 yards and curled it in beautifully past the keeper.
Hale completed an excellent individual display four minutes later when Randall played him in and the ex-Crues player dinked it over the keeper for his hat-trick.
After a great build up, Lynch completed the rout two minutes from time, nestling into the bottom right to complete the scoring for the night.
Referee: Ken Gibbons
Photo: Bill Guiller
