Larne draw with Parkview

It was a cracking game with lots of twists and turns and at times some reasonable hockey.

Parkview took an early lead when a forward got a touch in front of goal to deflect the ball into the net.

In the eighth minute, Thom Russell got Larne level when he finished sweetly a fine pass from Ronnie McDowall.

Four minutes later McDowall was unlucky when his effort whizzed over the crossbar. Larne at this stage had the edge on attacking play but Parkview were dour in defense and kept Larne out.

Alan Russell and Leslie King both had chances that they normally would have put away but their finishing was off target.

Parkview shocked Larne with a goal against the run of play in the last minute of the first half to put them 2-1 in front.

Eight minutes into the second half, Parkview went further ahead after a Larne player appeared to be impeded play was allowed to continue and the finish beat keeper Worthington.

Larne then pushed up a gear determined to get back in contention and Dean Hodge made it 3 –2 with a shot into the roof of the goals.

Midway through the second half it was Hodge once again who sent a rasping strike again high into the net the level the scoring.

Larne went for the kill now they were back into the game and several chances to take the lead were wasted.

Larne’s penalty corner tally in the game was eleven indicating the attacking pressure they were putting into the game.

Larne had a golden chance to win the game in the final minute when they were awarded a penalty stroke, the normally sound Dean Hodge however crashed the ball against the upright of the goal.

It was a pleasing result for Larne who next week travel to Ballymena in the second round of the Sussex Regiment Cup, Ballymena beat Foyle 5-1 last weekend in round 1.

Larne squad. J.Worthington, M.Haveron, W.Lilley, G.Lilley, D.Haveron capt. N.McGoldrick, K.McGoldrick, A. Russell, T.Russell, R.McDowall, S.Cumins, J.Dunkley, L.King, D.Hodge.

Umpires. B.Harvey and C.Telford.