Sports Direct Irish Premiership: Larne have one hand on the trophy

Larne all but secured back-to-back league titles as they came away from Windsor Park against closest rivals Linfield with a 1-1 draw.

Andy Ryan’s penalty cancelled out Kirk Millar’s opener to leave Tiernan Lynch’s visitors three points clear going into Saturday’s final game.

Even if they lose against Coleraine and Linfield beat Cliftonville, there would have to be an 18-goal swing for Linfield to prevent the Inver Park men from lifting successive Gibson Cups.

Linfield were without injured skipper Jamie Mulgrew, who faces a race against time to make the Irish Cup Final on May 4th, but that was put on the backburner as they gave it one last throw of the dice to try and wrestle the title back from the current holders.

Larne knew even a defeat and they would have another crack at winning it on Saturday, given that superior goal difference.

It was Linfield who looked the livelier of the two sides in the early exchanges and they were denied a penalty just five minutes in when Chris McKee went down in the box under pressure from Cian Bolger. However, Referee Tony Clarke waved away the appeals.

But Healy’s side did take a deserved lead 21 minutes in – albeit in slightly strange fashion.

Kirk Millar, always so dangerous from a dead ball, whipped in a corner from the left. It evaded everyone and looked to be sailing in, but Larne’s Leroy Millar, in an attempt to clear, could only divert the ball into the net at the back post.

However, it took the champions just 13 minutes to get back on level terms.

Tomas Cosgrove’s one-two with Mark Randall on the edge of the box, saw the marauding full-back power his way into the box before going down following a challenge from Joel Cooper. This time Clarke did point to the spot and Andy Ryan sent Chris Johns the wrong way to make it 1-1.

It was the hosts who had the next two really good chances either side of the break.

Four minutes before half-time, McKee sidefooted over the bar from 12 yards following a knockdown by Daniel Finlayson.

Then just three minutes after the restart, youngster Braiden Graham got on the end of Millar’s cross from the right, but could only direct his diving header over Rohan Ferguson’s crossbar.

Despite plenty of huff and puff in the second half, Linfield struggled to create much more of note as Larne’s game management took over, slowing the game down and happy to play on the counter-attack.

Indeed, the visitors could have wrapped the win – and with it, the title – on 77 minutes when Lee Bonis latched onto Chris Shields’ woefully short backpass. The striker still had plenty to do, but he was denied by Johns, who stood tall to deny Bonis’ effort.

It was then Linfield’s turn to go close.

With seven minutes of normal time left, Millar whipped in another teasing ball from a free-kick and McKee got the faintest of touches on it, only for the ball to come off the outside of the left hand post.

And despite six minutes of added time, Linfield couldn’t muster any real threats on Ferguson’s goal in the final moments as the vocal away support celebrated their side putting one, if not both hand just yet, on the famous trophy.

MATCH STATS

Linfield: Johns, Fionlayson, Shields, Hall, Millar, Cooper (Stewart 79), McGee (Devine 85), McClean, McKee (Annett 86), Fitzpatrick, Graham (Doherty 79)

Subs not used: Walsh, Clarke, McCullough

Larne: Ferguson, Williams, Bolger, Donnelly, Cosgrove, Randall (Sloan 60), Gallagher, Orozco (Kearns 81), Millar (Glynn 51), Bonis, Ryan (O’Neill 81)

Subs not used: McAdams, Allan, Westendorf

Referee: Tony Clarke