Larne know just how tough a test Swifts will pose, maintains Lynch
tough midweek games when they come around, but there is no point in looking too far ahead.
“We must tick off each game as they come.
“Our priority is to retain the league title.
“You could say we are sitting in a good position at the minute, considering we’ve three games in hand, but I’d much rather have points on the board.
“We’ve been victims of our own success in many ways.
“But I’ve said it before, this season is the most competitive league that I can remember.
“There are no easy games, you can’t take anything for granted or show any disrespect to anyone.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Aidan McCauley has signed a professional deal with Institute.
On alert: Tiernan Lynch isn’t expecting Swifts to lie down
LARNE boss Tiernan Lynch is expecting to face a resolute challenge when he takes his side to face Dungannon Swifts today.
The Swifts are on a difficult run, with five league defeats in a row going into this afternoon’s game at Stangmore Park.
However, they arrived at Inver earlier in the season on the back of a similar run of results and left with a point after producing a dogged performance in the 0-0 draw.
That game, back in September, is still fresh in Lynch’s mind as he looks to help cement the Invermen’s place in the top six.
“We know to expect the same sort of challenge,” he said. “That means that if we want to get anything, we have to make sure we are on our game.
“The boys will be able to take confidence from Monday night (0-0 draw with Crusaders). That was our second clean sheet in a row and made it four points in the last two games.
“We know there are no gimmies in this league, we have seen that week in, week out. However, the boys should be going to Stangmore with confidence.”
Larne come into today’s game on the back of Monday’s scoreless draw at home to Crusaders, in front of the Sky cameras.
It was a game where both sides cancelled each other out in difficult conditions, but there was frustration for the home side when they felt they were denied a stoppage-time penalty after a possible Billy Joe Burns handball.
“The referees have difficult jobs and no one knows that more than me,” he said. “When they’re as blatant as that, it’s a hard pill to swallow. However, we’ve dusted ourselves down after that and taken the positives.
“Crusaders are a good side and I thought we were the better team in the second half.
“The conditions definitely made the game edgy. There was a really strong wind and the first half we were conscious of the wind, but then in the second we probably didn’t take advantage.
“It was a good performance and I can’t fault them for effort.”