soccer

Larne Suffer Third Straight Defeat

League leaders Larne's title hopes took a hit as they suffered a third consecutive defeat, losing 3-2 to Carrick Rangers, while Coleraine beat Ballymena to close the gap to two points.

Carrick Rangers went 3-0 up through goals from Danny Gibson, Joe Crowe, and Paul Heatley before Larne responded with Tiarnan O'Connor's early second-half goal and Dan Bent's late consolation.

Meanwhile, Coleraine strengthened their title challenge with a 1-0 victory over Ballymena United, thanks to Will Patching's first-half goal at the Coleraine Showgrounds.