Larne secured a key three points with a narrow victory over Coleraine in the Northern Irish Premiership. The match saw goals from Andy Ryan and Matthew Shevlin decide the contest in Larne's favour.
Ryan found the net in the 83rd minute, while Shevlin had opened the scoring six minutes earlier. This result continues a positive recent run for Larne against their rivals, having also won the previous meeting on the opening day of the season. The win provides a timely boost as Larne currently sit seventh in the Premiership table with seven points from their first three matches.
The game was a tight affair typical of meetings between these two sides. Larne created the clearer chances and were rewarded when Matthew Shevlin broke the deadlock with 77 minutes played. Andy Ryan then doubled the advantage just six minutes later, effectively sealing the points. Coleraine pushed for a response but could not find a way past a resolute Larne defence. The full statistics from the encounter are available on our stats page.
Larne have enjoyed the upper hand in this fixture over the past two seasons. Prior to this win, they had also taken three points from Coleraine on the first day of the current campaign. Looking back to last season, Larne were victorious in the final match of the 2023-24 season on April 27. The head-to-head record shows these matches are often decided by fine margins, with several one-goal victories for both clubs in recent years.
This victory moves Larne onto seven points from three games, a solid start to the new Premiership season. Their goal difference stands at +2, having scored three times and conceded just once. They currently sit six points behind early leaders Coleraine, highlighting the importance of taking points directly from their rivals. Fans can track the evolving league picture on our standings section.
Attention now turns to the next challenge. Larne are set to host Crusaders at Inver Park on December 12. Crusaders currently occupy sixth place, one spot above Larne, making it another significant fixture in the early season schedule. The full run of upcoming games can be found on the club's fixtures list. Manager Tiernan Lynch will be looking to build on this momentum and continue climbing the table.
Larne's next match is at home to Crusaders on Saturday, December 12.
