Larne win Shield after injury-delayed shootout

Leroy Millar hit the crossbar for Larne in the first half

Larne won the County Antrim Shield for a third consecutive season after coming out on top against 10-man Linfield in an injury-delayed penalty shootout.

In snowy conditions at Seaview, the match ended in worrying circumstances with a stoppage of over 20 minutes after young Linfield goalkeeper David Walsh suffered a head injury in the 90th minute.

He appeared to get an accidental blow to the head when challenging Thomas Maguire for the ball, with referee Shane Andrews taking the teams off the pitch for an ambulance to tend to Walsh.

After consulting with both teams, Andrews decided not to play injury time but instead to go straight to a shootout when the players re-emerged.

Linfield, who had assistant manager Ross Oliver sent off in the first half and boss David Healy shown a red card after the break, gained the early momentum in the shootout when Chris Johns, on as a substitute for Walsh, saved Leroy Millar's spot-kick but Rohan Ferguson then immediately saved from Andrew Clarke.

Blues defender Michael Newberry hit the crossbar with his side's fourth penalty before Randall coolly dispatched Larne's fifth to win the trophy for Tiernan Lynch's men.

Larne began the game well and had edged the opening exchanges when McClean was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Millar, with Linfield's Chris Shields and Larne's Cian Bolger both booked by referee Andrews for their part in a melee that followed.

Millar came close top breaking the deadlock for Larne four minutes before half-time, meeting a corner with a powerful header that struck the top of the Linfield crossbar.

Healy's red card in the 55th minute was shown for him stepping on to the pitch to kick the ball back when it appeared a free kick had been already giving, with the ball striking Larne striker Paul O'Neill as he attempted to reach it before Healy struck it.

O'Neill had perhaps the best chance of the match four minutes from time, but he headed well off target from a Maguire cross, with Walsh then blocking a deflected Bolger volley on the line before suffering his injury.