MATTY Lusty was Larne’s two-goal hero as the Invermen ran out 2-0 winners over Cliftonville on Tuesday night.
Lusty scored both goals in the first half as Gary Haveron’s side dominated the opening 45 minutes and had chances to add to their lead in the second period.
They broke the deadlock on 13 minutes as Tomas Cosgrove slipped the ball infield from his position on the right midfield to Lusty and the striker unleashed a thunderbolt from 20 yards which was in the roof of PJ Morrison’s net before he could react.
After a number of chances came and went Larne doubled the scoreline on 38 minutes as Ronan Doherty won the ball in midfield allowing Lusty to pick up the loose ball and run at the two remaining Reds’ defenders before working himself a yard of space just side the box and firing into the bottom left corner of the net.
PJ Morrison in the Cliftonville goal made a number of good saves in the second half why Cliftonville hit the crossbar as the final score remained 2-0.
Larne: Ferguson, Ridley, Donnelly, Gallagher, O’Neill (’73 Millar), Graham, Doherty (’82 Simpson), Cosgrove, Sloan (’73 McEneff), Bent, Lusty (’82 Gibson)
Subs: Carney, Wallace, Randall
Cliftonville: Morrison, Healy (’66 Campbell), Leppard, Conlan (’82 Samuels), McClelland, McMaster, Thompson (’66 Gormley), Quinn (HT Wightman), Bannon, McStravick, Sheridan (’66 Hale)
Subs: Cremen-Cowan, O’Connor
Referee: Mark Dillon
