BetMcLean Cup: Linfield beat Larne on penalties to reach semis with Glenavon & Portadown also through

Holders Linfield beat Larne on penalties to reach the BetMcLean Cup semi-finals after a dramatic second period of extra-time finished 2-2.

A late equaliser from 16-year-old Blues substitute Braiden Graham took the game to a shootout, with Chris Johns saving Lee Bonis' spot-kick to earn a 3-2 win on penalties at Inver Park.

Glenavon won 3-2 away at Coleraine to go through to the last four and are joined by Championship side Portadown, who caused an upset by beating Loughgall 2-0.

Tuesday night's other last-eight encounter between Dungannon Swifts and Newry City was called off after originally being moved back to a later kick-off of 20:15 GMT due to traffic congestion.

It is believed referee Shane Andrews made the call due to concerns over what impact the weather might have on the 4G pitch at Stangmore Park.

The winners of the postponed tie will play Linfield in the semi-finals, while the Lurgan Blues and the Ports will contest a Mid-Ulster derby in the other last-four tie.

After a tight 90 minutes at Inver Park ended 0-0, Linfield had Kyle McClean sent off for a second yellow card. Euan East put them in front on 109 minutes, before Larne scored two in two minutes through Lee Bonis and Leroy Millar.

Teenager Graham, who also went on to score a crucial spot-kick, then levelled for David Healy's men to take the match into penalties.

After 90 minutes of pedestrian football and no goals, it took until the 109th minute in the second half of extra-time for the game to come to life.

East rose highest in the box to head home substitute Aodhan Doherty's delivery from the left-hand side to open the scoring.

Larne responded immediately, with Bonis finding the bottom corner with a first-time strike low and hard past Johns.

The Inver Reds then went ahead as Millar found himself unmarked in the box to head home a Cian Bolger cross.

Just as it looked like the 10 men of Linfield were defeated, Graham levelled in the 119th minute for David Healy's side to send the match to spot-kicks.

Larne's Tomas Cosgrove and Linfield's Kirk Millar missed the two opening penalties and Johns saved from Paul O'Neill before winning it by saving from Bonis.

Glenavon reached the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time since 2016 with a 3-2 victory at Coleraine.

A poor first half burst into life just after the half hour mark when the Lurgan Blues went in front.

Tiarnan Mulvenna's through ball saw Jack Malone beat the Coleraine offside trap and the midfielder took a clever first touch before racing through and blasting past Gareth Deane.

However, Coleraine were level within two minutes as Lee Lynch's free-kick was flicked on by Graham Kelly and Dean Jarvis arrived unmarked to fire a low shot past Rory Brown at the back post.

Glenavon moved back in front on the stroke of half-time when Peter Campbell somehow wriggled past a couple of tame challenges on the right hand side of the penalty area and, as he fired a cross-shot towards goal, Aaron Prendergast was on hand to divert the ball home from close range.

Coleraine struggled to create openings for an equaliser in the second half with Conor McKednry's low shot fizzing narrowly wide of the post.

Instead, Glenavon wrapped up the victory on 88 minutes when they broke on the counter-attack with Peter Campbell providing the pass for Cohen Henderson to clip a neat finish past Deane.

Coleraine almost set up a grandstand finish when Conor McKendry's cross drifted in over Brown in stoppage time but a late effort from Ciaran O'Hara, kept out by the Glenavon keeper, was as much as they could manage.

At Shamrock, Portadown's Eoghan McCawl opened the scoring 12 minutes from the end after the midfielder was found unmarked in the Loughgall penalty area and fired past Berrat Turker.

Eamon Fyfe would ensure the Ports' passage to the semi-finals when the former Coleraine man controlled a long ball upfield and calmly slotted past Turker in injury time.

A red card for Alberto Balde compounded a difficult evening for Dean Smith's side after a dangerous challenge on Portadown defender Dale Montgomery.

It would soon be 10 v 10 as full-back Aaron Traynor was shown a second yellow for his follow-through on Aaron Duke.

It will be viewed as a missed opportunity for the visitors, who edged proceedings for the majority of the game and had numerous chances to take the lead.

The biggest fell to Jamie Rea, who, after playing a neat one-two with Ben Magee, could only drag his effort wide from close range when it looked easier to score.