Larne 1-0 Glentoran
12th December 2025
With this narrow victory Larne maintained their slender goal-difference lead over Coleraine (who also won this evening) at the top of the NIFL Premiership. I appreciate this match was played on a blowy December evening on a plastic pitch, but this was poor festive fare indeed.
Indeed, the only memorable incident of a turgid first-half was a volleyed attempt from the edge of the box by Glentoran's Scottish midfielder Liam Burt. The effort ballooned way over the bar, and for a moment it looked as if the Christmas lights on the tower of nearby St Cedma's Church were in danger.
Things improved a touch after the break - or at least Glentoran's play did, as they proceeded to enjoy by far the bulk of possession. But their finishing remained woeful, as Burt (again), Joe Thomson (another Scot) and, late on, Jordan Stewart all fluffed their lines.
But with the match beginning to look as if it would peter out to a draw, and a chap in the red bobble-hat in front of me telling his mates "They have been fuckin' shite for weeks, now", up popped Larne substitute Benji MAGEE to score a winner. He dispossessed Jonathan Russell in midfield, shrugged off a pretty ineffectual challenge from Cammy Palmer, then proceeded to bash the ball past Andy Mills in the visitors' goal.
"Where did that come from?" grinned Mr Bobble hat.
Glen's defender Daniel Larmour then proceeded to give teammate Russell a right good bollickin' (as the may say here), and the poor lad was immediately hooked. I actually felt Larmour looked just as much to blame for the goal, for it was his crappy header which put Russell under pressure, and the defender had actually turned his back on the shot.
I hate it when players do that - they should be actively willing the ball to hit them, rather than flinching out the way of it.
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| En route to Inver Park, I went through this well-decorated underpass. |
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| The Ticket Office was a rather low-tech affair - one lassie with a lap top and a printer. |
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| When the printer failed, she toddled off to get help, leaving the cash tray behind - which I felt was rather sweetly trusting of her. |
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| "YOU ARE ALL ON THE NAUGHTY LIST" |
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| The festively adorned tower of St. Cedma's Church overlooks Inver Park. |
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| Inside the wee Social Club... |
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| ...I found an old Wurlitzer. |
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| Not surprisingly, I saw no ice cream being bought. |
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| Mr. Bobble. |
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| Larne 1-0 Glentoran (December 2025) |
So - moving towards the end of the year, Larne and Coleraine sit atop the NIFL Premiership with 42 points each. Defending Champions Linfield presently lie ten points further back (although with a wodge of games in hand).
As for Glentoran, this result left them eleven points off the pace, with a first title since season 2008/09 looking as far away as ever.
