CHAMPIONSHIP 1: DUNDELA 0 LARNE 1

The Reds had enough chances to have the game closed out by the break, and then faced an anxious final 10 minutes as the home side threw everything at them.

Manager Davy McAlinden found it hard to sum up a game with so many twists and turns.

“Again, we could have been six up and it could have ended 6-3 but we should have been out of sight. I can’t be too critical of the players with our run in the league.

“Maybe we lacked a bit of composure in front of goal, but if I have to go through that heartache every week for a one-goal, win I will be happy.”

McMurray had a chance to open his account after only two minutes when he was unlucky to see his well struck shot rattle the crossbar. Daniel Burns then stuck the upright for the home side before Larne went ahead on 16 minutes.

McMurray did well to outmuscle Kyle Owens, cutting in from the left to fire the ball low into the net. Larne continued to dictate the pace and really should have wrapped up the points early in the second half.

Firstly, Paul Maguire was denied by a brilliant save from Steven McKay. McMurray then wasted the follow-up before Maguire burst through the Duns defence only to fire wide. Chris Keenan produced a string of brilliant saves, including an injury-time block to deny Carl McComb who was through on goal.

Larne were awarded a penalty late on when McMurray was upended but Robbie White’s run of successful spot-kicks came to an end when McKay at full stretch kept it out.

McAlinden didn’t agree scoring the penalty would have killed off the game. “The team never allow you to rest comfortably but even if we had scored the penalty Dundela would have still thrown everything at us.

“I couldn’t fault anyone for the effort they put in against a difficult side who have been scoring a lot of goals.”

Larne: Keenan, Rodgers, Crawford (Todd 6), Wharry, McNamee, N.McAllister, Irvine, King, Maguire, White, McMurray. Subs: Gillan (Todd 39), not used Duffin.