Smyth: Players gutted after Welders defeat

This was rough justice for the Reds who battled hard in a game which had draw written all over it until a late own goal denied them a point.

After the match Larne’s assistant-manager, Sammy Smyth (below), said a draw would have been a fair result.

“I am so gutted for the players,” he said. “A point each would have been fair and we could even have won it with the chances we created in the first half.

“Neither side really created a lot - especially in the second half - and the own goal was a cruel way to lose it. We conceded too quickly after we scored to a goal from a free-kick. I can’t criticise the players in any way after the shift they put in.” Larne went ahead after only five minutes as George Young’s surging run into the box was halted when he was upended by Dan McMurray. From the resultant penalty Scott Irvine confidently sent the keeper the wrong way.

Three minutes later the Welders were level. A free-kick from Sammy Devine broke to Paul Dickson who drilled a low shot into the net. With 20 minutes gone, Gary Workman floated a free-kick into the box to find Craig Todd.

He got plenty of power into his header only to be denied by a brilliant save from Wayne Drummond. Just before the break a shot from Devine looked goal-bound until William Wharry managed to divert it over the bar.

The winner came ten minutes from time. A throw-in on the left fell to Dickson. His shot was covered by Chris Keenan but a cruel deflection off Todd took it into the net.

LARNE: Keenan, Murray, Magill, McAllister, McNamee, Todd, Irvine, Young, Moore, W.Wharry, Workman. Subs: Yilmaz (Wharry), J. Wharry (Workman).

Don’t miss this week’s Larne Times for more reaction from Saturday’s match and a look ahead to the game against Warrenpoint Town