McEneff brothers set to clash on the European stage as Larne ace Jordan hopes to get one over brother Aaron

It is set to continue on the European stage on Thursday night as Larne ace Jordan McEneff comes up against sibling Aaron as the Inver Reds take on Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League at Windsor Park.

Whilst family ties are set to be split for 90 minutes, ex-Arsenal trainee Jordan knows his older brother has qualities which can hurt his Larne team-mates.

He said: "We were on FaceTime when the draw happened and we weren't exactly too sure how it worked.

"We didn't know if we were able to actually draw each other but when it came out, we just laughed and said 'what's the chances?'

"We try not to talk too much about football and we will speak after the game.

"It will be fun to see half of my family in the Rovers end and half in the Larne end.

"He's a midfielder like myself and had a tough year with injuries but he's back fit now.

"Aaron at his best is energetic and box-to-box and scores goals, and if he plays, it is something we have to look out for."

Larne started their European campaign with a defeat away at Molde and McEneff says they were punished for lapses in concentration.

He further acknowledged how the concept of an Irish League team facing the counterparts from the League of Ireland adds to the occasion.

"We were good for the first 50 or 60 minutes but when we conceded the first goal, it showed what one lapse in concentration or one mistake can do,” the 23-year-old added.

"It's something we can learn from and that's what happens against the big teams.

"You want as big a crowd as you can get, especially as many from Northern Ireland.

"It's big for the league, not just us, so it would be great to see a large crowd there.

"It's probably the most exciting game we've got with the All-Ireland tie, so it's certainly something to look forward to.

"I played against Rovers a lot for Derry City and everyone knows whether you've played in that league or not that they're a good team with good players, so it's not going to be an easy game.

"I don't think they'll be fully concentrated on their league challenge but for us hopefully! Either way whatever team they put out they've got enough players to field two players in each position, so we will set-up well for a tough game.”

Larne have won four, drawn three and lost two out of their nine league games so far and McEneff says it has been difficult to adjust tactics when transitioning from European football to the domestic scene.

"It has been tough as we are playing games every couple of days, which is tough,” he continued.

"As a footballer that's what you want to be doing but I think we have maybe struggled setting up to defend like Molde and then facing teams who are sitting off us.

"It can be hard as a player but there's no excuses as there's been league games where we just haven't been good enough and that's down to us.”