COUNTY ANTRIM SHIELD LESSON TO LARNE..

The Championship leaders find Heatley too hot to handle

PAUL HEATLEY’S seventh goal in six games eased Crusaders past a resilient Larne in last night’s Toals County Antrim Shield semi-final at Seaview.

Stephen Baxter’s men were frustrated for long periods by the runaway Championship leaders who were compact and composed.

But with Heatley on a hot streak of form, it only takes one moment to make the difference and so it proved when the winger pounced for the winner on 65 minutes.

Holders Crues will face Ballymena United or Linfield in the showpiece final on January 22.

Crues boss Baxter said: “We restricted them to one shot from about 30 yards, so we got our tactics right and probably should have scored more.

“It was cagey in many ways, but it was also a good performance. It was all about getting ourselves into the final, which we did.”

Larne, with the backing of a bumper travelling support, survived an early scare when Patrick Mcnally sliced a clearance into Michael Dougherty’s arms.

Crues dangerman Heatley also fizzed a snap shot wide, before Dougherty was forced to smother a Jordan Forsythe free-kick.

Crusaders started the second half on the front foot and the breakthrough came when Heatley pounced for his 12th goal of the season, heading a delicious Ross Clarke cross past Dougherty from six yards out.

Forsythe should have added a second 10 minutes later, but he miscued his close range header from a Clarke cross and the ball bounced wide.

An audacious 30-yard effort from Heatley forced a sprawling save from Dougherty in the dying minutes as the Crues made it six wins on the bounce in all competitions.

LAST night’s other County Antrim Shield between Ballymena United and Linfield at the Showgrounds was postponed at 5pm following a pitch inspection.