Two second-half goals made earned Larne an important win over Cliftonville allowing the Invermen to climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season.
In the midst of playing catch-up after their European exploits, Gary Haveron’s men have now made it two wins in little over three days as their bid to get back into the title race gathers pace.
An own goal from Luke Conlan and a second from Dylan Sloan earned this success over Cliftonville, who they leap-frogged in the table as a result.
It also gave Haveron’s first blood in the opening tie of this double-header against Jim Magilton’s men, with Tuesday’s BetMcLean Cup semi-final to come at the same venue on Tuesday.
Fresh from Tuesday’s 3-1 win away to Crusaders, Gary Haveron kept a largely unchanged XI, with only Joe Thomson coming in.
He replaced Andy Ryan who was unavailable, alongside fellow strikers Matty Lusty and Paul O’Neill. It left Conor McKendry as the only recognised attacker for the home side.
Cliftonville, meanwhile, had earlier in the day announced Ronan Doherty’s move to Coleraine, while striker Taylor Steven’s return to St Johnstone was also confirmed by the Solitude side.
Magilton opted to go with an attacking line-up which included Joe Gormley, Ryan Curran and Ryan Corrigan all starting.
Despite missing so much of their firepower up top, Larne began brightly and were causing early problems for Cliftonville.
Sloan, fresh from signing a new contract for the home side, brought a save low down to his left from Lewis Ridd, who had kept his place in goal ahead of David Odumosu.
Sloan then had the best chance of the night so far with eight minutes gone.
Levi Ives did well down the left flank before squaring the ball across the box for Sloan, but he produced a tame effort from 15 yards which was too close to Ridd.
This early spell seemed to spark Cliftonville into life and they came close with 14 minutes on the clock, as Joe Gormley got in behind the Larne defence on the right flank before seeing Cian Bolger divert his cross just past his own post.
After a quiet spell the game exploded into life just before the break. Haveron’s men came within the width of a post of breaking the deadlock five minutes before the break.
The ball broke to former Cliftonville man Levi Ives on the edge of the box, and he thundered a low effort which came thumping back off the base of Ridd’s right-hand post. From the rebound, Sloan saw his effort saved by the legs of Ridd.
At the other end Cliftonville then had a goal ruled out a minute before the break.
Rory Hale whipped a dangerous cross to the back post where an unmarked Ryan Curran headed home, only to be denied by the assistant’s flag.
The action-packed ending to the first-half continued as soon as the second half kicked off, with Larne taking the lead with just 40 seconds gone of the new period.
Levi Ives produced a slide-rule pass into the box on the left side to find Joe Thomson and his square pass took out goalkeeper Ridd leaving Luke Conlan with little chance to force the ball over his own line under pressure from Dylan Sloan.
Ten minutes later and Larne could have doubled their lead, having got in on the left once more.
Thomson sent McKendry scampering down the left channel and as he cut in towards goal he fired high over bar from a tight angle.
With 20 minutes on the clock Cliftonville spurned a great chance to level the game. The visitors were on top at this point and a cross from the left wasn’t properly cleared by Aaron Donnelly, with the ball falling at the feet of Rory Hale six yards out, but he somehow miscued his shot wide.
It was the sort of opportunity he would normally score in his sleep and he was soon left to rue it as Larne doubled their lead with 12 minutes remaining.
Donnelly broke at pace the left flank and the former Cliftonville man ran almost the length of the visitors’ half before sweeping a cross to the back post where Sloan did well to slide home inside the six-yard box to wrap up the points.
Larne: Ferguson, Want, Donnelly, Ives (McEneff 71), Donnelly, Thomson, McKendry (Magee 71), Randall (Graham 71), Bolger, Cosgrove (Nolan 58), Sloan (Simpson 84), Gallagher.
Subs not used: Besant, Wallace.
Cliftonville: Ridd, Pepper (Wilson 64), Addis, Kearney, Hale, Curran (Markey 78), Conlan, Piesold (Pettifer 78), Gormley (Glynn 64), Casey, Corrigan (Berry 78).
Subs not used: Odumosu, McGuinness
Referee: Ben McMaster (Belfast)
Man of the match: Dylan Sloan
Match rating: 6/10
Cliftonville will drop down to sixth
Aaron Donnelly sprint down the left-flank before cutting a dangerous ball across goal. Dylan Sloan slides in at the back post to make it 2-0.
Jordan McEneff, Benji Magee and Sean Graham are on.
Larne fail to deal with a cross into the box. It falls kindly for Hale inside the six-yard box, but he screws the chance wide with the goal gaping. That’s a bad miss.
Off goes Conor Pepper and Joe Gormley. On comes Harry Wilson and Micheal Glynn.
Thompson races down the left flank before cutting a dangerous low ball across the front of goal. Under pressure from Dylan Sloan, Luke Conlan turns the ball into his own net.