Shamrock Rovers ease to dominant win over Larne

A devastating opening half-hour from Shamrock Rovers saw them coast to a 4-1 Europa Conference League win over Larne in Belfast.

Rovers travelled across the border to Windsor Park and planted their flag with three goals in the first 30 minutes.

Strikes from Joshua Honohan and Johnny Kenny and a Thomas Cosgrove own goal put the League of Ireland champions in control, and Graham Burke killed the game in the second half after Christopher Gallagher scored for Larne.

It was a good run out for Rovers, who put some early points on the board in the league phase of the revamped third-tier competition.

Larne suffered a tough lesson as they remain winless in their opening two games in what is the NIFL Premiership champions’ first ever foray into a group stage of a European competition.

They may have been harmed by the fixture being played at a virtually empty Windsor Park rather than their usual Inver Park home and they fell behind in just the third minute as Honohan converted at the far post.

Rovers doubled their lead in the 24th minute when Kenny nodded home Burke’s cross and the match was as good as over when Cosgrove put through his own net six minutes later, with the goal surviving a VAR check.

Gallagher gave the hosts some hope early in the second half when he drilled home from the edge of the area.

However, it was short-lived as Burke made it 4-1 six minutes later when he found the bottom corner after a good run.