[Sport] Larne win County Antrim Shield to end 33 year trophy wait as hometown man Jeff Hughes nets decisive penalty.

[S9OUL.]

Larne have won their first top level trophy in 33 years as hometown man Jeff Hughes stroked home the decisive penalty at the end of a tense County Antrim Shield final against Glentoran.

 

Goalkeeper Conor Devlin saved two penalties to tee up a winning opportunity for former Northern Ireland international Hughes, who made no mistake to earn a 4-3 spot-kick success.

 

Neither team could find the net in normal time as Glentoran made eight changes to the side that had beaten Dungannon Swifts 5-1 on Saturday with the likes of Robbie McDaid, Jay Donnelly and Patrick McClean left on the bench. Larne, however, were at full strength with key man Marty Donnelly returning to the line-up.

If Mick McDermott's pre-match press conference was box office then the game itself was more like freeview.

 

For Glentoran, their two best first-half opportunities fell to Andrew Mitchell but, on the end of a Gael Bigirimana free-kick, his header was plucked from the air by a full stretch Conor Devlin while, later in the half, he miscued a header after Marcus Kane's ball in was knocked down by Mitchell's dangerous-looking strike partner Cameron Stewart.

 

At the other end, Larne enjoyed much of the possession but offered little until the late stages of the opening half, when Tomas Cosgrove's cutting ball down the right set Lee Lynch clear before his low cross was well cut out by man of the match Keith Cowan.

 

From the next attack, Marty Donnelly's low shot was easily saved by Rory Brown as the defences came out on top.

Larne created their best chance of the game just shy of the hour-mark when David McDaid cut in onto his right foot and unleashed a strong effort that was blocked by Cowan before looping up to the back post, where Donnelly's header had to be tipped away.

 

Glentoran went even closer with 10 minutes left on the clock, thanks to a wicked Gael Bigirimana corner. As the ball whipped into the box, it came off Larne substitute Jeff Hughes and struck the bar.

 

The danger didn't end there as Glentoran players flocked to referee Keith Kennedy after the ball seemed to hit the Larne midfielder on the arm. The official, however, did not oblige their appeals for a penalty.

 

The Glens were finishing strongly and captain Marcus Kane, who had delivered a tyically outstanding performance, curled a right-foot cross into the centre where Bigirimana couldn't make contact to head in what would surely have been the winner.

 

In the end, it wasn't to be for the Glens, as Marty Donnelly, Josh Robinson, Fuad Sule and Hughes all netted from the spot to add to Devlin's two saves and claim the trophy.