The League of Ireland champions made the trip to Windsor Park and quickly took control, netting three goals in the first half-hour. Joshua Honohan opened the scoring in the third minute, followed by a header from Johnny Kenny, and an own goal by Larne’s Thomas Cosgrove, putting Rovers firmly in the driver’s seat. Graham Burke sealed the win in the second half after Larne’s Christopher Gallagher briefly narrowed the gap.
This result gave Rovers a solid start in the group phase of the newly revamped third-tier competition. On the other hand, NIFL Premiership champions Larne, in their debut European group stage campaign, have yet to secure a win after two matches. They may have been unsettled by playing at the near-empty Windsor Park instead of their usual Inver Park home.
Larne’s hopes were dashed early when Honohan scored at the far post in the third minute. Rovers doubled their lead in the 24th minute with Kenny nodding in Burke’s cross, and the game seemed over six minutes later when Cosgrove’s own goal, confirmed after a VAR review, made it 3-0.
Gallagher briefly reignited hope for Larne, drilling home a shot from the edge of the box early in the second half, but Burke quickly restored Rovers’ three-goal cushion with a composed finish to the bottom corner.
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