H&W Welders boss Paul Kee disappointed to not capitalise on Larne 'free hit' but admits Championship remains priority

With Larne kicking off their UEFA Conference League campaign in Norway on Thursday evening, academy technical director Andy Mitchell took charge at Blanchflower Park alongside U20 head coach Keith O’Hara as a number of young stars were presented with an opportunity against the current Championship leaders.

After falling behind to an early Josh Kee strike, teenage striker Ambrose Ajala, who scored twice in their Co Antrim Shield win over Queens University last month, impressed once again by netting another brace to help Larne secure a 2-1 triumph.

Former Crystal Palace midfielder Jeff Hughes was drafted in for a first senior start since November 2022 to provide experience alongside Chris Gallagher and Aaron Donnelly, who are both suspended for the opening European fixture.

The defeat left Kee feeling the Welders had missed an opportunity and says his team, which also included seven starters aged 23 or under, have lots to learn.

"We'd a good opportunity to progress in a major cup competition and we never took that chance,” he told the club’s media channel. “We started slow and got a goal through a bit of penetration from Joshua and a break of the ball, but then we played into their hands.

"They were a bit tentative being a young side coming here and we'd an opportunity to go for it, but we didn't and that was disappointing. It shows our inexperience at this level, irrespective of them having a young side out.

"They've a full-time scholarship scheme and their model is very good and they were assisted by some experienced players and goalkeeper (Joe) Besant had a good game as well. It was going to be an interesting game once it was announced it was going ahead.

"The model that Larne have created under Tiernan (Lynch) and his staff and Andy Mitchell, it's good. The only complaint I'd have about the game is the ref let them time waste a lot, which seems to be a common thing now and maybe because it's Larne it wasn't pushed upon too early. They were very clever in managing the game."

The Welders sit top of the second-tier table on goal difference from Bangor after scoring 27 times in nine league matches and will host Limavady United on Saturday.

Kee was able to welcome former Cliftonville defender Jamie Robinson back from an injury sustained in pre-season in the closing stages against Larne while Scott Davidson was involved in a senior squad for the first time since January 2023.

"He's got game time,” Kee added on Robinson. “I would have liked to have got Scott Davidson some game time but it wasn't to be.

"The hope was to give some guys a game tonight because they deserve it, have been training well and we've an important league game on Saturday.

"I didn't really want to be bringing Tiarnan (O’Connor) and (David) Parkhouse on because their running stats are really high and we have to be careful in how we manage them.

"This was a free hit but there was no better chance to exploit that free hit than tonight and we didn't.

"Saturday's game is more important and we have to make sure we're at our very best in the Championship because if we're not then you'll get caught. I expected more but it showed me the team is still learning, evolving and have a long way to go."