Larne successfully defended the County Antrim Shield after a late Tomas Cosgrove header gave them a 1-0 win over Linfield in a gripping final.
A superb clearance off the line by Cian Bolger from a Jimmy Callacher chip then secured a deserved victory for the Invermen.
They had gone close several times before Cosgrove’s winner delivered their fourth senior trophy.
The Blues looked dangerous on the break but could not find the breakthrough.
Forward Jordan Stewart had to be stretchered off in injury time with what looked like a leg brace on, leading to protests from manager David Healy, who said afterwards he felt Stewart was fouled by Cosgrove in the challenge for the goal.
Having beaten Glentoran on penalties at the same venue behind closed doors in last season’s final, Larne players and coaching staff basked in celebrations in front of their passionate supporters at the final whistle.
Cosgrove and Herron had both missed good opportunities to open the scoring before Cosgrove’s winner 13 minutes from time.
It came from a great run down the left by man-of-the-match Ronan Hale and, when he produced an excellent cross, the former Cliftonville full-back rose above Stewart to meet it strongly at the back post and power home a header.
Herron came desperately close to scoring in the 10th minute when he was totally unmarked at the back post from a Ben Doherty cross but his header was superbly saved with his feet by Blues keeper Chris Johns.
Cosgrove should have scored five minutes after the break from a fine cutback by Davy McDaid but, after taking his time, he dragged his shot inches wide.
Linfield were unable to create chances as freely as Larne but almost equalised in the dying moments when Callacher tried his luck with an audacious chip that was headed off the line acrobatically by Bolger.
Larne set tone with strong start
After surviving an impressive first-minute swivel and 25-yard strike from Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew, it was Larne who were the more threatening side in the opening 20 minutes of the match.
Ben Doherty was looking lively from wide and he had their first effort on goal when his well-hit low shot was gathered by Johns, before Herron missed that header in the 10th minute.
With Chris Shields missing and Niall Quinn filling in at right back, and captain Mulgrew driving them on from midfield, Linfield gradually played their way into the game from the midway point of the first half.
They threatened twice, the first when a Kirk Millar right-wing cross looked dangerous before being cleared by captain Albert Watson – who earlier had a goal disallowed for offside – and the second when Stewart caught his long-distance curler sweetly but it was just over the crossbar.
Callacher had to get his body in the way of a Ronan Hale shot just before the end of a half as the sides went in level at the break.
The chances continued to flow in the second half, with Hale and Doherty going close for Larne before Christy Manzinga missed a fine opportunity for the Blues when he dragged his shot wide after getting in down the right channel.
Matthew Clarke was just inches too high with an acrobatic volley and Johns then had to tip over from Doherty just before the Cosgrove goal.
Tempers flared on the pitch and in the stands, with some objects appearing to be thrown onto the pitch towards Larne keeper Rohan Ferguson, as the final seconds ticked by before the jubilant Larne supporters celebrated their Shield success.