Crusaders defeated Larne to retain the White Ribbon NI Charity Shield thanks to a couple of second half goals at Inver Park.

In the annual curtain raiser to the new season, Jarlath O'Rourke and James Teelan found the net as Stephen Baxter's Irish Cup holders defeated Tiernan Lynch's league champions.

Scoreless at the break, the opening 45 minutes were fairly low key as both sides looked to find their feet although O'Rourke will feel he could have done better one-on-one with Rohan Ferguson while, at the other end, Paul O'Neill sent a looping effort over the top.

The deadlock was broken just four minutes after the break.

Summer signing Lloyd Anderson did well to send over a cross from the right that O'Rourke got to ahead of Shaun Want to flick the header over Ferguson into the net.

Andrew Ryan offered up Larne's best attempt at an equaliser midway through the second half but his effort from distance was comfortably gathered by Jonny Tuffey.

They did have the ball in the net not long after that when Leroy Millar played Lee Bonis through to beat the Crues keeper only to be ruled out offside.

But the game was ended as a contest with five minutes remaining when Crues debutant James Teelan, a recent arrival from Newry City, finished from close range after connecting with a right-sided lay-off from Ross Clarke.

Larne: Ferguson, Want, Omar, Donnelly, O'Neill, Gordon, Bolger, Millar, Glynn, Cosgrove, Ryan subs Brown, Farquhar, Kearns, Bonis, Maguire, Sloan, Lusty

Crusaders: Williamson, Burns, Callacher, Weir, Lowry, Kennedy, Lecky, O'Rourke, Larmour, McKeown, Anderson subs Tuffey, Teelan, Forsythe, Kennedy, Owens, Smith, Clarke