Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
WE ARE LYN IT TO WIN IT
Lee starts Inver Reds rout to keep pressure on Linfield
LARNE recorded their first win of 2021 to stay hot on the heels of leaders Linfield with a clinical 4-1 win over Glenavon at Mourneview Park last night.
Lee Lynch’s first goal in almost a year had the visitors ahead early doors before Michael O’connor levelled for the Lurgan Blues from the penalty spot.
But a looping header from Jeff Hughes, a sweeping finish from Ronan Hale and a late Andy Mitchell penalty propelled Tiernan Lynch’s men to their first win in five outings.
Victory kept the Inver Reds three points behind David Healy’s Blues who cruised to a commanding 3-0 win over Portadown at Windsor Park.
Larne, whose last win was a 3-1 win over Linfield at Inver Park on December 11, were ahead in the 21st minute when the lively Lynch pounced for his first goal of the season.
Mark Randall and Hale were both involved in the build-up, Hale eventually teeing up Lynch to rifle an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
It was the least the visitors deserved after a really bright opening when both Hale and top scorer Davy Mcdaid went close to an opening goal.
Mcdaid saw an early goal bound shot blocked by Andrew Doyle, before he also forced a point blank save from Craig Hyland 10 minutes later.
The Glenavon keeper produced an even better stop to deny Hale, diving low to his left to palm the striker’s low shot around the far post.
Glenavon were level in the
26th minute when O’connor coolly converted from the spot to register his third goal of the campaign.
Conor Mccloskey’s cross was handled by Albert Watson and the former Northern Ireland midfielder stepped up to send
Larne keeper Conor Devlin the wrong way.
Larne were in front four minutes into the second half when Hughes met a Randall free-kick to flick a looping header over the stranded Hyland.
After going almost a year without a goal, it was the skipper’s second goal in five days following his opening strike in Friday night’s 1-1 draw with Glentoran.
It was 3-1 on the hour mark when Hale latched onto a superb defence splitting pass from the impressive Randall to steer a low shot past the onrushing Hyland. The dangerous Mcdaid almost added a fourth when he lobbed wide, before Mitchell did make it 4-1 from the penalty spot (inset) after Hale tumbled under a challenge from Doyle. A first win of the calendar year keeps Larne in the slipstream of reigning champions Linfield who beat Portadown 3-0 thanks to a hat-trick from striker Shayne Lavery.
Lavery headed home a Jordan Stewart cross to open the scoring early doors, added a second with a looping effort and made it 3-0 with a close range finish on the hour mark.