'He is so talented': Gary Haveron praises Larne goal hero as Inver Reds keep European dream alive with Linfield win
Larne head coach Gary Haveron says goal hero Conor McKendry “is so talented” after his strike sealed a 2-1 win over Premiership champions Linfield and kept the Inver Reds’ automatic European dream alive.
Having already sealed a record-extending 57th Gibson Cup crown, Linfield boss David Healy has handed a number of the club’s young stars an opportunity in recent weeks and 16-year-old Kalum Thompson certainly seized his chance by scoring a maiden senior league goal at Inver Park.
Alongside Healy’s men reclaiming the Premiership throne, there has been further cause for celebration at the South Belfast club in recent weeks with Michael Gault’s U20s winning the NIFL Development League, currently sitting 16 points clear at the summit.
Thompson played his part in that success and was joined on the pitch in the second half by team-mates Jon Graham, Kenzie Beattie, Liam Burns, Callum Leacock and Alex Watson on Friday evening.
Larne were able to make their experience count in the closing stages as Andy Ryan tapped home before substitute McKendry rifled a deflected effort beyond David Walsh to seal three points in the 88th minute.
McKendry returned to Larne from Coleraine last summer after enjoying the best campaign of his career to date, scoring 12 league goals in 34 matches, but has struggled for consistent opportunity this season, making just nine Premiership starts.
Despite that, only Joel Cooper and Danny Purkis have made more successful dribbles this season than 26-year-old McKendry and Haveron hailed his impact.
"Conor's finish was absolutely first-class, he has had to be patient and wait for opportunities, he is coming off the back of a dead leg so to come on and to score with that type of finish, he is so talented,” Haveron told BBC Sport NI. "It wasn't our best performance of the season by any stretch of the imagination but the only thing we wanted to come away with was three points to give ourselves an opportunity next week and that is what we have done.
"We were a shadow of ourselves first half, but the boys dug in, and we came out with the result."
Regardless of Glentoran’s result at Stangmore Park this weekend, it will be a winner-takes-all showdown next Saturday for the Premiership’s second automatic European spot – a match which is worth at least €150,000, the prize money for reaching the Conference League first round qualifying stage.
"It's a game we want to be excited for, it's a winner-takes-all game, so we will have to be prepared for it,” added Haveron. "Glentoran are a good side, we have had some tight games with them this year, but it's important we put our best foot forward next week."