Larne's title challenge suffered another significant setback after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Limavady United at Inver Park on Tuesday. The result leaves Gary Haveron's side third in the Premiership standings, now 12 points behind leaders Coleraine with 22 points from their 10 games. Larne have now won just one of their last five league matches.
Ronan Wilson stunned the home crowd by putting the newly-promoted visitors ahead in the 70th minute. Larne found a reply 11 minutes later when Aaron Donnelly swept home Conor McKendry's cross, but a winner proved elusive despite late pressure.
Haveron's frustration
"Extremely frustrating but I can't keep saying the same thing, we can't keep missing the chances we missed," said Larne boss Gary Haveron. "We had three or four massive chances to go ahead and then we make a mistake and get our pockets picked."
He credited Limavady's defensive resilience but acknowledged his team must improve quickly. The draw extends a worrying run of form at Inver Park to three home games without a win. Haveron added that his side's lack of a clinical edge is becoming a recurring and costly theme.
How the match unfolded
Limavady threatened early, with Rohan Ferguson tipping a Lewis Tosh effort over the bar. Larne dominated possession but struggled to break down a disciplined defence, often resorting to long-range efforts. The hosts' best first-half chance fell to Paul O'Neill, who headed wide from close range.
The hosts started the second half brighter. Jordan McEneff forced a smart save from Limavady keeper Gareth Muldoon before Ronan Doherty volleyed over. O'Neill then had a close-range finish ruled out for offside, and Limavady capitalised soon after. Dan Bent lost possession in his own box, allowing Wilson to cut inside and score with a low finish.
The equaliser came from a fine move. Substitute McKendry drove to the byline and delivered a perfect cross for Donnelly to finish on the half-volley. Larne pushed for a winner, with penalty appeals waved away after McKendry went down under a challenge, but the visitors held firm to secure a valuable point.
What comes next
Larne must regroup quickly for a key home fixture against Portadown this Friday night. Portadown sit 11th in the table, and Larne won the last meeting 2-0 in September. With the gap to the top widening, anything less than three points would be a severe blow to their championship ambitions.
