EARLY GOALS GET LARNE OFF TO WINNING START
Larne got the new season off to a winning start with a three-goal victory over Dungannon Swifts at Inver Park.
Tiernan Lynch's side came storming out of the traps with two goals inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour to firmly put their stamp on proceedings.
Martin Donnelly opened the scoring on 11 minutes with a left-foot finish into the top right corner from just outside the ball after Mark Randall had laid the ball off.
Then, a couple of minutes after that, David McDaid made it 2-0. Again Randall provided the assist for McDaid to run on to and slip a composed ball underneath keeper Sam Johnston.
To their credit the Swifts didn't let their heads drop and, as the first half progressed, began to attempt to work their way back into the game with Kris Lowe and Oisin Smyth crafting the most promising openings but both, ultimately, proved fruitless.
Larne looked to extend their advantage after the break, and might have grabbed a third on 69 minutes when Northern Ireland U21 international Andy Scott crashed a rasping effort off the woodwork after getting past Caolin Coyle.
For the Swifts Dylan King came closest to pulling a goal back but he could only watch on as his 80th minute effort from a James Teelan ball went agonisingly over.
However, Larne put the game beyond any doubt with four minutes remaining. Coyle was adjudged to have brought down Jeff Hughes inside the box and from the subsequent penalty Ronan Hale stepped up to convert past Johnston.
Indeed, Hale had the ball in the net again at the end of normal time but this effort was ruled out offside.
Larne: Devlin, Watson, Robinson, Herron, Sule, Randall, McDaid, Donnelly, Cosgrove, Hughes, Jarvis subs Kelly (not used), Hale (replaced Donnelly 78), Scott (replaced Randall 46), Lynch (replaced Herron 87), Mitchell (not used), Murr (not used), Wade Slater (not used)
Dungannon Swifts: Johnston, Coyle, Teggart, King, Byers, Lowe, Hughes, Smyth, Campbell, Forde, Teelan subs Byrne (not used), Patton (replaced Smyth 81), C. McGinty (not used), Brennan (not used), O'Kane (not used), Devlin (replaced Forde 69), Glenny (not used)
Substitution 
Substitution 
