25/10/2026
🏉 TOWNS CUP ACTION AT THE GLYNN
Towns Cup action returned to The Glynn as Larne welcomed Limavady, who sit a league above the home side. Recent meetings between these teams have been tight, entertaining affairs, and with dark skies and stormy weather overhead, another gritty battle was on the cards.
Larne started brightly, with the scrum looking strong and Charlie Patterson and Barry P making some excellent early carries.
The opening score soon followed. Ryan McAlister picked up from close range and powered through multiple defenders from the 5m line. Not much stopping him from there…
7-0 Larne.
The pressure kept coming, with hard-nosed phase play forcing Limavady into mistakes. Phil Andrews slotted a superb penalty from behind the 10m line before adding another as Larne continued to make the most of the conditions.
13-0. A dream start.
Limavady weren’t going to roll over, though. Their powerful forward runners punched through after a handful of phases to get themselves on the scoreboard, making it 13-5.
With the wind behind them, Larne continued to play the conditions well. Strong carries and a reliable kicking game earned another penalty, which Phil duly dispatched to stretch the lead to 16-5.
A crucial steal from Jonny Farquhar helped keep Limavady out late in the half, but the visitors kept coming and eventually squeezed over just before the break. A brilliant conversion from out wide left Larne with work to do.
Half-time: Larne 16-12 Limavady.
The second half was a different story. Neither side found much rhythm early on, but Limavady eventually powered over from close range to take the lead at 19-16.
From there, the visitors piled on the pressure. Larne found themselves defending their 5m line in atrocious conditions, throwing everything into keeping Limavady at bay. Time and again, the Larne men held firm and kept the game within a score.
The challenge was getting out. With the wind making progress difficult, Larne struggled to gain territory and spent much of the half under pressure.
In the end there was one final chance. Late on, Larne cleared their lines and worked their way into the Limavady 22, with a lineout offering a last opportunity to sn**ch the game. Unfortunately, the ball was lost and Limavady cleared on the final whistle.
FULL-TIME: Larne 16-19 Limavady.
A disappointing cup exit, but plenty of heart from the Larne men. In miserable conditions against quality opposition, Larne showed real grit, defended brilliantly under sustained pressure and pushed a team from the league above right to the final whistle.
Not our day, but plenty to build on.
📸 Billy Swann (also had a hard day at the office 🌧)
❤️💚
