INTERMEDIATE CUP: Dergview 3 Larne 0

To add to their woes, the Reds finished the game with 10 men after Stuart McMullan’s straight red card for an off-the-ball incident midway through the second half.

“It was a bad day at the office we have just got to get over it and hopefully we can put it right when we come back here for the league game next month,” said Larne boss, Davy McAlinden.

Asked if he could take any positives from the game, McAlinden added: “I don’t think so, we looked lacklustre and maybe the last few weeks have taken it out of us.

“It isn’t the worst we have played and it certainly wasn’t the best. After they scored their second there was no way back for us.”

Larne gave a debut to new signing Neil Lowry who had Larne’s first scoring chance after 24 minutes but he pulled his effort wide.

On the stroke of half time the visitors should have been in front. Ciaran Murray squared the ball for James McCabe only for the centre-forward to fire over the top from six yards.

Dergview then edged ahead on 47 minutes when Richard Lecky provided the finish to a right-wing cross.

On the hour-mark the referee awarded the home side a soft penalty when Gerard Reynolds and Darren Higginbotham challenged for a loose ball. Adam Lecky confidently slotted home the spot-kick.

Dergview added their third 10 minutes later, Aaron Arkinson taking advantage of the gaps in the Larne defence to convert Lecky’s pass.

DERGVIEW: Beggs, Wallace, Falconer, Robinson, Burns, Liggett, Arkinson, A. Lecky, R. Lecky, Higginbotham, Edgar. Subs: Lynch, Coulter, Sheridan, Clarke.

LARNE: Connolly, Todd, Smyth, McClean, Reynolds, McMullen, King (Robinson 70), E.Gillan (C. Gillan 80), McCabe, Murray (McGoran 70), Lowry. Subs not used: Heggarty, Stitt.