Larne secured a comeback 2-1 victory over Bangor in the Premiership on Saturday. Goals from substitutes O'Neill and Doherty in the second half turned the game around after the hosts had taken an early lead.
The win keeps Larne fourth in the Premiership table with 19 points from nine games, a record of six wins, one draw and two losses. They now sit 13 points behind leaders Linfield but have won three of their last five matches, a run of three wins and two losses. Their next challenge is a home fixture against Limavady United on Tuesday night, with the match scheduled for Tuesday 27 October.
Bangor started brightly and were awarded a penalty after just four minutes. Lynch stepped up but missed the spot-kick, a let-off for the visitors. The hosts did take the lead in the 20th minute through Arthurs.
Larne manager Tiernan Lynch made a decisive change at half-time, introducing O'Neill. The forward made an immediate impact, levelling the score in the 68th minute. The momentum had shifted and Larne found a winner eleven minutes later. Another substitute, Doherty, scored in the 79th minute to complete the turnaround.
Bangor's McCullough received a yellow card just before the break in a first half they largely controlled. Larne's squad depth proved critical, with a flurry of changes around the hour mark altering the game. The team will now prepare for a quick turnaround, hosting 10th-placed Limavady United at Inver Park.
This result continues a patchy but productive recent run for Larne, whose form reads WLLWW from their last five outings. They have scored 18 goals this season while conceding only eight, giving them a goal difference of plus ten. The focus now turns to securing another three points on Tuesday to solidify their top-four position. This latest win follows a 1-2 home defeat to Linfield on Tuesday 20 October and a 2-3 loss to Coleraine FC on Friday 16 October, results that have kept them at arm's length from the title race.
