Larne grabbed all three points with a dominant 3-1 win over Crusaders in tonight’s Sports Direct Premiership tie at a frosty Seaview.
Tomas Cosgrove scored a deserved opener for the Inver Park side in the first half, before Jacob Blaney grabbed an unexpected equaliser just before half-time.
Crusaders failed to get back in the game and went down to a second-half strike from Levi Ives and an own-goal from Jimmy Callacher, as Larne moved to within a point of Coleraine in eighth, but with a mammoth five games in-hand.
It is yet more misery for Declan Caddell’s Crues as their inconsistent season continues and they remain seventh.
With temperatures close to zero on the Shore Road, it was Larne fans who were heated up early on after some wayward defending by the Crues.
After Ives went close, Jarlath O’Rourke was robbed of the ball by Conor McKendry, who passed to Andy Ryan, but the Scot could not find the target.
As the visitors continued to dominate, Ryan went close once more on 30 minutes, after Robbie Weir was disposed of by McKendry once more, but again the striker missed the target. Seven minutes later there was to be no further escape for the Crues.
Ives' corner was headed towards goal by Cosgrove. The ball was headed clear by O’Rourke, but linesman Bogdan Sfirloaga flagged that the ball had in fact crossed the line and the goal was awarded.
However, just as Larne looked to be heading for the sheds one goal to the good at half-time, Crusaders hit back in injury time.
Stewart Nixon’s cross from the left wing found the unmarked Blaney in the box, and he made no mistake firing past the outstretched Rohan Ferguson in goal.
The second period started in a similar vein to the first and it was manager Gary Haveron’s team who were soon in front again on 53 minutes.
Chris Gallagher played the ball to the right wing for Tomas Cosgrove, who in turn centred where Ives rose highest to head home into the goal beyond Jonny Tuffey.
Crusaders continued to struggle to impose themselves on the game but should have equalised on 72 minutes. Nixon controlled the ball inside the box with time to spare but failed to hit the target.
The result was then confirmed deep into stoppage time when Jimmy Callacher scored an own goal, deflecting home a Dylan Sloan cross.
Crusaders: Tuffey, Callacher, Weir, Lowry, Blaney, Forsythe, O’Rourke, Larmour, O’Connor, Nixon, Barr.
Subs: Williamson, Owens, Smith, Brown, Walker, Downey, Bond.
Larne: Ferguson, Want, Ives, Donnelly, McKendry, Randall, Bolger, Cosgrove, Sloan, Gallagher, Ryan.
Subs: Besant, Thomson, Graham, Magee, McEneff, Nolan Simpson.
