THREE unanswered goals in the second half earned Larne a derby victory at home to Ballymena United on Tuesday evening.
Lee Bonis broke the deadlock shortly after the break and late goals from Andy Ryan and Leroy Millar ensured Larne would make it seven points from a possible nine at the start of this new campaign.
Larne came into the game hoping to build on Friday’s impressive 2-1 win at the Oval and almost broke the deadlock on 15 minutes.
Andy Ryan led the charge for Larne and waited before releasing the ball to the left flank where Micheal Glynn squared a cross into the box. Lee Bonis then wrapped his left foot around an effort which clipped Sean O’Neill’s near post.
The closest Ballymena came was six minutes before the break, when Steven McCullough whipped in one of his trademark crosses from the left flank, which was met by Ryan Waide who headed an effort just wide of Rohan Ferguson’s left-hand post.
Within three minutes of the restart Larne were ahead. Andy Ryan did well to fashion space for a cross close to the corner flag on the left flank and he flashed the ball right across the six-yard box to give strike partner Lee Bonis the opportunity to head home from close range.
The points were then sealed with eight minutes remaining. This time Lee Bonis raced down the right flank and crossed low into the box where he found Andy Ryan and deadly striker swept a right-footed effort into the top corner of O’Neill’s goal to doubled the lead.
The Invermen almost added to their lead in spectacular fashion right on the 90 minutes through former Partick Thistle midfielder Shea Gordon.
The ball broke to Gordon just outside the box and he caught a sweet half volley which Sean O’Neill did brilliantly to tip on to the base of his post.
This was still time for a third when, five minutes into stoppage time, Lee Bonis once again turned provider. His initial shot was block and he laid the rebound for Leroy Millar to lash home against his former club.
Larne: Ferguson, Want, Farquhar, Thomson (’78 Kearns), Bonis, Ives, Gordon, Glynn, Cosgrove, Sloan (’68 Millar), Ryan (’87 O’Neill)
Subs: Dowling, Omar, Westendorf, Maguire
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Nelson, Whiteside, Graham (’84 Walsh), Waide, McCullough, McGuigan, Taylor (’62 McMurray), Gibson (’81 O’Boyle), McMullan, Place
Subs: Johnston, Murray, Tennant, Crawford
Referee: Ben McMaster
