CHAMPIONSHIP 1: Knockbreda 2 Larne 2

“It feels like a defeat to me, when you are leading 2-0 you should be able to go on and win the game and we didn’t do that,” a despondent Davy McAlinden told the Times.

“We made poor decisions that allowed them back into the game and you can’t afford to do that.

“The second goal was important but after we got it we didn’t handle it and that is very disappointing.

“We had opportunities to win the game after they levelled but, as I say, we didn’t manage it.”

After a shaky opening five minutes Larne began to settle and might have gone ahead when Gerald Gillan headed down into the path of James McCabe but he blazed over the top.

Gillan then got into a good position picking up a Ciaran Murray cross, but again the shot was too high.

The Reds went in front 10 minutes before the break. A free-kick from Stuart King saw Michael McClean get to the ball ahead of the ‘keeper to head home against his old side.

Larne doubled their lead on 58 minutes.

A corner from King on the right broke to Murray who fired into the net, helped by a slight deflection on the way.

The lead was halved within three minutes when a cross from the left wasn’t cleared, allowing James Wright to drive low into the net.

Larne had chances to restore their two-goal advantage, but were made to pay, when, with five minutes left, the ball fell to substitute David Johnston. Larne keeper John Connolly got a hand to his shot but couldn’t prevent it finding the top corner.

Knockbreda: Williamson, King, Lambe, A.Wright, Culley, McCain, J.Wright, Dempsey, Hughes, Cahoon, Young. Subs: Johnston, Wilson, Begley, Fleetham.

Larne: Connolly, Todd, Smith, McClean, Reyolds, Bradley, Scott, King, McCabe, Murray, G.Gillan (E.Gillan 70). Subs not used Lowry, Robinson, McGoran, Heggarty,

Referee: J. Robinson.