Larne secured victory in the Charity Shield by beating Coleraine 3-2 on penalties after a goalless game at Inver Park. The match started with an opportunity for Larne, when Dylan Sloan made a pass that was deflected by Paul O'Neill, but he was in an offside position. As time passed, Coleraine began to create more danger, and soon after, Lewis McGregor almost got to the ball in the box, while Senan Devine saw a shot cleared over the line by Aaron Donnelly. The game began to swing towards the Bannsiders, but Devine was stopped again by a good save from Rohan Ferguson.
Larne's Scottish goalkeeper had a less happy moment when he gave possession to Rowan McDonald, who, in a clear goal situation, shot over the goal. Jay Henderson, making his debut, also forced Ferguson into a good save, while his teammate, Lewis Webb, had a difficult moment when he let a routine free kick fall at the feet of Josh Ukek, but Cameron Stewart managed to avoid the goal on the line.
The two players met again when Stewart fouled Ukek in the box, but Webb saved Mark Randall's penalty. This was the last great opportunity of the game, which ended goalless, leading to penalties for the second time in a row. On the mark, Ferguson shone as he saved shots from Shevlin, Doherty and Henderson, allowing Larne to win their second Charity Shield in three years.
Coach Gary Haveron and his team are now preparing to travel to San Marino, where they will face Tre Fiori in the first qualifying round of the Champions League, while Coleraine will have almost three weeks to prepare for their Conference League qualifying game against HJK.