Whites Inver a good season

They lifted themselves to seventh in the Championship One table with Saturday’s 2-1 come-back victory over high-flying Larne at Inver Park.

Managed by ex-Whites player David McAlinden, Larne took the lead on just five minutes but Distillery raced back to win thanks to goals from Stephen Doyle and Sean Southam.

As it turned out, this was not to be a game for the faint hearted as both teams went hammer and tong to secure the points.

Larne got the opener when Ciaran Murray was played through by a Stuart King pass before thundering his shot past the advancing Ryan McBride.

This was followed up by another chance as Sean Southam flicked the ball off to Doyle whose lightning pace saw him get into the box before cutting back to Joe McDonnell but his effort was fired straight at the keeper.

Whites’ manager Tommy Kincaid, however, was forced into a change as Ciaran Burns went off with an injury - he was replaced by Kieran O’Connor but with Darren Nixon suspended and only one recognised centre half now on the pitch, the visitors feared the worst.

Nonetheless, they were level on 32 as they hit back through a real screamer. This goal can only be described as one of the highest order when Stephen Doyle curled his free-Kick from 20 yards out around the wall and into the corner of the net. David Beckham In his prime would have been proud of this one.

Whites’ custodian McBride then made a superb save to keep the sides level when Murray ran through and looked to dink the ball over the advancing keeper but he got his fingertips to the ball to knock it behind.

The Whites seemed very slow to start the second half but eventually settled into their rhythm & took the lead on 70 minutes when Peter Sargent played in a blistering cross into the penalty area and red hot forward Southam was on hand to power home an unstoppable header.

Bradley Morton, in his first game back since suffering a broken jaw pre-season, was superb all game and it was he who denied Larne a late equaliser as his tackle was timed to perfection when Todd was lining up a shot from a promising position.

DISTILLERY: McBride, Thompson, Sargent, Burns (O’Connor), Morton, Kopyt, Bingham (White), McIlhagga, Doyle, McDonell (Corrigan), Southam.