Three disallowed Larne goals as draw blank with Carrick still delivers talking points
It was a case of honours even but Larne and Carrick Rangers served up plenty of talking points on the way to a point apiece at Inver Park.
A string of early corner-kicks offered Carrick hope of the upper hand but without an end product.
Matty Lusty reacted quickly to pick up possession over Carrick's Luke McCullough but the Larne attacker struggled to clear Ross Glendinning with his planned lob.
An opening then arrived for Andy Ryan but Glendinning proved alert off his line to smother the threat.
Defending league champions Larne had a goal disallowed off a Cian Bolger header from Mark Randall's delivery – it would mark only the first of the afternoon.
Paul Heatley raced towards goal off Kyle Cherry's pass and opted to try and catch out Rohan Ferguson but it lacked the accuracy to find a path past Rohan Ferguson.
A second Larne goal was ruled out after Ryan steered goalwards Tomas Cosgrove's cross, bouncing off the legs of Glendinning before Lusty converted off the rebound.
Ferguson pulled off a near-post save to deny Danny Gibson before a Larne penalty appeal was dismissed.
Larne then hit the woodwork on 67 minutes when defender Aaron Donnelly tried his luck from distance, with Ryan steering wide off the rebound.
Seanan Clucas won possession for Carrick and headed towards goal then opted to try and square the ball for Gibson, with Shaun Want on hand to clear.
Conor McKendry almost enjoyed a perfect introduction off the bench but his shot bounced back off the frame of the goal due to a combination of Glendinning and the woodwork.
A third Larne goal was disallowed as Ryan scored following a Jordan McEneff cross.
McKendry's drive then whistled over the crossbar as the sides stayed blank at the final whistle.
LARNE: Ferguson, Cosgrove, Want, Bolger, Todd, Donnelly, Gallagher, Graham, Randall, Ryan, Lusty.
Subs: Besant, Nolan, Simpson, McEneff, Sloan, McKendry, Magee.
CARRICK RANGERS: Glendinning, Forsythe, Crowe, McCullough, Buchanan-Rolleston, Clucas, Cherry, Andrews, Heatley, Maciulaitis, Gibson.
Subs: McCauley, Surgenor, Watson, Gordon, Cushley, Allen, Given.