Lee Bonis bags brace as Larne see off Coleraine

The Bannsiders made a bright start to proceedings but never looked likely to get back into the game after first-half strikes from Lee Bonis and Mark Randall.

The second half was an open affair, with Bonis wrapping up the points deep into stoppage time with an acrobatic finish.

Neither side came into the game on the back of any great form.

Larne had gone four games without a win in the league and opponents Coleraine hadn’t fared much better, with only one win in their last five.

It was the visitors who carved out the first opening with five minutes on the clock.

Gareth Deane’s long punt forward was flicked on by Matthew Shevlin, but Eojn Bradley fluffed his lines in the box.

Larne responded with Bonis heading straight at Deane from a Tomas Cosgrove centre.

The visitors were having the better of things in the opening quarter and should have edged in front on 14 minutes after Patrick Kelly cut the ball back for Stephen O’Donnell, but he blazed his effort over the bar.

The Bannsiders went even closer on 23 minutes after a marauding run by Josh Carson saw him dig a cross out for Bradley, but his header crashed off the base of the post and away to safety.

That proved costly as within a minute the hosts were in front.

Doherty’s low cross slipped through Deane’s hands and Bonis was on hand to tap into the empty net.

Bonis went close a second four minutes later as Randall picked out his run, but the striker’s first-time finish went wide of the far post.

Cosgrove was enjoying being back in action again, and he carved out another opening on 32 minutes.

This time he teed up John Herron, but he blasted over.

As play headed towards the break, Larne did extend their advantage and in some style.

Randall surged out of midfield and unleashed a low drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

Larne picked up in the second half where they left off in the first with Lee Lynch picking out Bonis in the box, but the striker got his header all wrong, steering it wide of the target.

The home side were dominating things but Bradley almost reduced the arrears midway through the half as he curled a free-kick inches wide of the post.

Shevlin then headed over from a Bradley cross before Bonis hit the post at the other end.

But the former Portadown man wasn’t to be denied as he finished off a sweeping move in spectacular fashion right at the death.

Larne: Ferguson, Cosgrove, Watson, Balmer, Kelly Sule, Herron (Lynch, 40), Randall (Mitchell, 76), Doherty, Nasseri (McDaid, 69), Bonis.

Subs (not used): Devlin, Hale, Hughes, Jarvis.

Coleraine: Deane, Kane, Jarvis (Allen, 60), Lowry, Bradley, Carson, O’Donnell, Traynor, Kelly Shevlin, Tosh.

Subs (not used): Gallagher, McLaughlin, Elliott, Stewart.

Referee: Steven Gregg.