Home win for the 3rds

Harlequins were unable to field a full team and faced an uphill battle with 12 men against 15, but played with the same determination and ferocity you would expect from a full side.

The visitors thwarted all early attempts from Larne to break through their line with brute force. Faced with such a stalwart defence, Agnew looked out wide and spotted space for Stewart to gather in a cross field and score in the corner.

Quins replied immediately, forcing the home back to their own line and holding them there while desperately trying to find their way through, but Larne absorbed the intense pressure and then broke away to counter-attack. Only an unfortunate pass preventing them from scoring on the break.

Both Johnston's in the front row (not related), Jones and Williamson continued to attack the line and made great yards into Harlequins territory and set up a solid platform for the backs to orchestrate the second try of the day when Carter sprinted down the touchline to score in the other corner.

Larne turned up the heat on a stretched thin defence and the forwards took their turn to score the next 2 tries with Williamson and Joseph Johnston adding to the tally. Harlequins refused to let up and continued to make it very difficult for the home team. Gaw, Stewart and Gibson tried to add 3 more scores but the visitors harried them and forced knock-ons or nudged attackers in to touch in last ditched defending.

The second half continued in the same vein as the first.

Harlequins took what chances they could to counter-attack, and if not for some frantic last chance tackling from Agnew and Gibson, the visitors would have scored their first points.

McIlheron and Agnew combined well to set up Larne’s first score of the half; breaking left inside the opposition 22 the scrum half put the out half in for what looked like an easy step round the winger to score but Agnew unselfishly popped the ball up for young newcomer Smyth to score his first senior try for the club.

McIlheron added another shortly after, using his strength to bully his way over the line.

Larne’s big carriers Jones, Shannon, Oakley and Jamison kept hammering away at the opposition, wearing them down and tiring them out.

This constant abuse paid off when substitute Andrews outpaced the back line to score from the right hand side.

The home side followed up with a superb solo effort from scrum half McIlheron, spotting a half gap, sprinted in from the halfway line to score under the posts. Unusually, no 8 Jones added the conversion to finish off the game.

With 4 other conversions from Agnew, Larne claimed the win 53-0.

Line up: J. Johnston, J. McCullough, S. Johnston, C. Oakley, G. Jamison, R. Williamson, C. Smyth, R. Jones, R. McIlheron, M. Agnew, R. Stewart, D. Weir, J. Carter, G. Gaw, A. Gibson, J. Shannon, S. Andrews, R. Bergin