Larne smash Warrenpoint 6-0 to open Premiership campaign

Larne stormed to the top of the Danske Bank Premiership as they marked their return to the division with a 6-0 demolition of Warrenpoint Town.

Martin Donelly opened the scoring, with captain Jeff Hughes doubling their lead before the break.

David McDaid score a quickfire double early in the second half, before Mark Randall marked his debut with a goal from 45 yards.

There was still time for Donelly to grab a late goal to wrap up a man of the match performance.

As was the case last season, Stephen McDonnell's Warrenpoint side insisted on playing out from the back.

They began the game on the back foot, often trying and succeeding to play their way out of danger. However, they soon made an error allowed Larne to open the scoring.

With 18 minutes played, a loose ball bobbled through to Emmett Bennett just inside the Point box, but he made a mess of an attempted clearance.

Larne forward Martin Donnelly immediately closed him down, gathered the ball 8 yards from goal, and then placed a left-footed finish beyond Turker to score Larne's first goal back in the top flight.

Warrenpoint's insistence on playing out from the back was again their undoing as they went 2-0 down just before the break.

Goalkeeper Berratt Turker took a slightly heavy touch after receiving a pass from a defender. This allowed Larne midfielder Jeff Hughes enough time to steal possession and tap into an empty net.

Any meagre hopes of a Warrenpoint comeback were extinguished just 16 seconds into the second half.

Donnelly tore down the right hand side, easing past his marker before squaring it to David McDaid, who couldn't miss, unmarked from 6 yards.

5 minutes later, he scored again, the beneficiary of more superb work down the right by Donnelly.

This time he flicked the ball over his marker before testing the keeper from a narrow angle. Turker could only parry the ball right to the feet of McDaid, who easily stabbed home Larne's 4th goal.

With Warrenpoint soundly beaten, debutant midfielder Mark Randall opened his account for the club with a spectacular 5th in the 71st minute.

The midfielder spotted Turker off his line and lobbed the Warrenpoint keeper from close to the halfway line.

By the 76th minute, it was 6-0 as Martin Donnelly gathered a pass on the right, cut inside, and then finished well into the bottom-left corner to wrap up a thrilling return to the top for Larne.