The team saw several changes from the one that beat the PSNI the week previously. Eddie Hunter and Brian Blair moved into the pack, with Mark Magill and Cary Aston coming in to the back line.

It was evident from the onset how Cavan were intending to play the game through their influential Figian outhalf and inside centre.

The Larne team knew that by cutting both players down early would snuff any attack the Cavan team would have.

Ten minutes into the game a well timed off-the-top line out move saw Gary Knox hit an oncoming Stephen Marshall with a beautiful pass, enabling him to scythe the Cavan defence, bamboozling the full back and running in under the posts. Knox converted.

Cavan did not take the score lying down and came right back. Lacklustre defence and several asinine infringements by the Larne team allowed Cavan to gain momentum. The pressure told when they were awarded a penalty that they slotted over for for points.

Cavan continued in the ascendancy and were awarded another kickable penalty, but it went wide of the posts.

Larne picked themselves up and out half Gary Knox began to control the game with his boot, pinning the Cavan back three in their own 22. The pressure finally told when Cavan gave away a penalty just before half-time that Knox slotted over for another three points.

A strong talking-to at half-time by coaches Wilson and Willis and the thought of the strong breeze on their backs in the second half meant the Larne team came out rejuvenated.

Thumping tackles by inside centre Stephen Knox nullified any breaks the big Cavan centre made and Matt Crampsey gave the home side a horrid time in the lineouts, disrupting ball continuously.

A clumsy off-the-ball challenge by the Cavan outhalf on Ricky McIlheron saw the home side down to 14 men for 10 minutes during which Marshall went over again below the posts. Knox converted.

A series of pick-and-goes by the Cavan pack had the home side camped in the visitors' 22 although the Larne defence held firm for more than 10 minutes. This really knocked the wind out of the Cavan sails and frustration kicked in.

On the Cavan halfway line, no 8 McCluggage made a break putting flanker Blair clear. He was racing to the Cavan line only to be halted by a ridicously high tackle by the outhalf, who saw the red card and Cavan were down to 14 for the rest of the game. Knox converted the penalty.

With 10 minutes remaining, a series of mistakes by both teams crept in and the game lacked any real fluency and it finished 20-3 in favour of the Larne team.

Larne know there were facets of the game that will not be pleasing, but this is another game in which gritty determination in defence did not allow a team to cross the whitewash.