LARNE GIVEN FRIGHT BUT MAKE IT THROUGH IN THE END
Larne needed extra-time to defeat Championship opponents Ards at Clandeboye Park to reach the quarter-finals of the BetMcLean Cup.
Ards moved in front after a quarter-of-an-hour when Callum Dougan found the bottom corner, but the visitors levelled just five minutes after that following a defensive mix-up which Sean Graham pounced upon to find the net.
Larne took the lead in first half stoppage time when Andy Ryan outpaced the defence before beating keeper Alex Moore one-on-one.
But Ards responded positively four minutes after the interval courtesy of a clinical finish into the bottom corner from Ross Hunter.
And that pattern was repeated on 73 minutes when substitute Paul O'Neill picked his spot to fire past Moore only for Connor Maxwell to equalise barely three minutes after that with a superb strike from 25 yards.
Lee Bonis might have won it for Larne in added time only to strike an upright but he did find the net 11 minutes into extra-time with a driven effort across the face of goal into the far corner.
O'Neill then made sure on Larne's progression in the 117th minute after connecting with an Aaron Donnelly ball to fire home from close range.
Ards: Moore, Maxwell, McCallum, Ruddy, E. Scannell, Dougan, Gorman, Steele, C. Scannell, Hunter, Tipton subs Greer, Cafolla, McAllister, Miller, Ritchie, McLaughlin
Larne: Dowling, Want, Donnelly, Farquhar, Kearns, Allan, Lloyd, Glynn, Graham, Smith, Ryan subs Ferguson, Thomson, Randall, O'Neill, Bonis, Ives, Cosgrove
Substitution 
Substitution 
