Larne bagged another four goals at home as the Invermen moved back to the top of the Danske Bank Premiership.
Early goals from Lee Bonis and Mark Randall, coupled with Leroy Millar and Tomas Cosgrove scoring late on wrapped up a 4-0 win at home to Dungannon Swifts.
The early goal arrived after Larne forced a corner on the right flank. The ball was cleared as far as Fuad Sule on the edge of the box. He returned the ball to the right flank where Mark Randall crossed on to the head of Leroy Millar, who nodded on for Lee Bonis to produce a controlled volley from eight yards out.
Things almost went from bad to worse two minutes later. From a loose ball forward Larne’s Leroy Millar and the Swifts’ Mayowa Animasahun raced towards the box with the latter getting a touch and inadvertently rifling an effort which came off the base of the post before being cleared to safety.
The home side had to wait until the 25 minute to double their lead, with Mark Randall starting and finishing the move.
The English midfielder nicked the ball off Gerardo Bruna on the right touchline before playing it forward to goalscorer Lee Bonis.
Bonis strode forward with the ball into the box before slipping it right to Randall and he applied a low finish past Declan Dunne from a tight angle.
In a brief respite, Dungannon’s first opportunity came with half an hour on the clock when Joe McCready had time to bring the ball down 25 yards from goal, but his snapshot drifted comfortably wide of Jack McIntyre’s right-hand post
Larne pushed for a third before the break and almost got it on 38 minutes, only for Tomas Cosgrove’s thumping header from a Ben Doherty corner to be well saved by Declan Dunne.
Then, three minutes before the half-time whistle, Lee Bonis flashed an audacious volley just over the bar after good work from Tomas Cosgrove, who had done well to jink his way into the box.
Larne began the second half in similar fashion, looking like a side determined who to wrap up the points.
They almost did just that two minutes after the break, when Lee Bonis lobbed in a cross for Leroy Millar to head against the base of the post. With striker Paul O’Neill following up behind him he could only follow suit and struck almost the exact same bit of woodwork.
The game hit something of a lull after this, but Larne still had opportunities to build on their lead.
With 16 minutes left, Ben Doherty forced a great save from Declan Dunne at full stretch when he cut in from the right an unleashed a fierce left-footed drive which looked destined for the roof of the net.
From the resulting corner, Lee Bonis side footed wide from a good position at the back post.
Strike partner O’Neill passed up a guilt-edge opportunity of his own soon afterwards. Bonis played the former Cliftonville man through on goal but he could only shoot at Dunne when one-on-one.
Despite building up a head of steam late on, Larne finally added a third with three minutes left.
Mark Randall dispossessed James Knowles in a dangerous area before slipping in Leroy Millar and he thundered home his second goal in as many games.
There was still time for a fourth. With a minute left Ben Doherty flashed a corner from the right into the box with Tomas Cosgrove heading into the bottom corner.
Larne: McIntyre, Want, Sule (’90 Gordon), Randall (’90 Sloan), O’Neill (’90 Kearns), Bonis, Doherty (’90 Kelly), Donnelly, Bolger, Millar, Cosgrove (’90 Scott)
Unused subs: Ferguson, Hughes
Dungannon Swifts: Dunne, Breen, Knowles, McCready (’80 Convie), Campbell, Mayse (’80 Scott) McGinty, Cushnie (’59 Barr), McGee, Animashuna (’80 Gallagher), Bruna (’59 O’Connor)
Unused: Groogan, Francis
Referee: Jamie Robinson
Photo: Pacemaker
