LARNE NARROWLY DEFEAT SKY BLUES
Larne defeated Ballymena United at The Showgrounds to move three points clear at the top of the Sports Direct Premiership.
Tiernan Lynch's side grabbed what proved to be the winner and only goal of the game after just eight minutes when Andy Ryan and Lee Bonis combined for the latter to head past Sean O'Neill.
The Sky Blues might have levelled midway through the first half when Noah Stewart played Mikey Place through one-on-one with Rohan Ferguson but the Larne keeper did well to cope with his low shot.
Larne came close to doubling their lead a few minutes from the break when, from a Mark Randall free-kick, Bonis tried to beat O'Neill again but the United keeper produced a fabulous stop to deal with the threat.
It was almost 2-0 midway through the second half, but Sean Graham could only look on as his effort rolled just past the far post with a similar fate befalling Jaziel Orozco's attempt on goal not long after that.
Ryan then came close with a curling free-kick over the wall but it connected with stanchion behind the goal ... and Ballymena might have snatched a stoppage time equaliser when Andy McGrory's looping cross landed on the roof of the net.
Ballymena United: O’Neill, Nelson, Rocks, McCullough, F. Taylor, Boyle, Place, Robinson, Stewart, McCurry, McCallion subs Johnston, McGrory, Tennant, D. Taylor, McMurray, McAuley, Mallon
Larne: Ferguson, Donnelly, Randall, Bonis, Ives, Bolger, Cosgrove, Graham, Gallagher, Ryan, Williams subs McAdams, Kearns, O’Neill, Allan, Westendorf, Sloan, Orozco
Substitution 
Substitution 
