Larne defeat Coleraine in Charity Shield shootout

Larne defeated Coleraine 3-2 on penalties to secure the Charity Shield at Inver Park after the game between the Premiership champions and Irish Cup winners ended 0-0 after 90 minutes. Larne had the first half-chance early in the game when Dylan Sloan's ball across the face was touched against the post by Paul O'Neill but the offside flag was up against him. Coleraine started to edge their way back into the game and, just after Lewis McGregor almost connected with Matthew Shevlin's delivery, Senan Devine was denied by a goal-line clearance by Aaron Donnelly. The game began to tilt towards the direction of the Bannsiders and Devine was repelled again, this time by a good low save by Rohan Ferguson. Larne's Scottish stopper was less convincing just moments later when he gifted possession to Rowan McDonald but, with Ferguson still stranded on the edge of his box, McDonald lobbed over the bar with the net at his mercy. On debut, Jay Henderson forced a good save from Ferguson before his opposite number Lewis Webb dropped a routine free kick at the feet of Josh Ukek only for Cameron Stewart to clear off the line. Those two would clash again as Stewart fouled debutant Ukek in the box only for Webb to save Mark Randall's spot-kick. That was the last real chance of the game and the Charity Shield would finish goalless and be decided on penalties for the second year in a row. Ferguson would be the hero in the shootout as he saved efforts from Shevlin, Doherty and Henderson and Larne secured a second Charity Shield success in three years. Gary Haveron's men travel to San Marino to take on Tre Fiori in Champions League first qualifying round next week while Coleraine still have nearly three weeks to prepare for their Conference League qualifier with HJK.