Michael O'Boyle praise for 'special' Larne star who 'shouldn’t be involved' as he fights through injury

O’Connor is enjoying his first full season in Northern Ireland’s top-flight after joining from H&W Welders in January and Friday’s equaliser, which cancelled out Paul Heatley’s opener, marked his sixth league goal of the campaign.

Larne continued to pull further clear at the Premiership’s summit as Paul O’Neill scored a late winner, extending his side’s unbeaten league run to 11 matches in the process.

O’Connor has started 13 times in 19 matches for the current leaders with Gary Haveron showing full faith in the 23-year-old, but he’s dealing with a groin issue which has limited involvement in recent weeks.

He still made himself available for a Boxing Day trip to Taylors Avenue and O’Boyle, who was on media duties in the absence of suspended boss Haveron, praised the striker.

"Tiarnan is a special player who scores special goals for us,” O’Boyle told the club’s media channel. “He’s really finding his form.

"Unfortunately for him, he’s dealing with a groin issue and he’s helping us out because we’re short on bodies...in truth he shouldn’t be involved, but that shows the character of the squad and the togetherness that he’s willing to put his body on the line and get us three points.

"Jordy (McEneff) was really struggling with sickness and how he got through 90 minutes in that wing-back role, one of the most intense on the pitch, is credit to him.

"He’s versatile, can play anywhere for us, and we know he’s someone who can get on the ball and get us going forward. It’s a really good ball in and Paul is where we need him to be, between the posts and gets his goal.”

Larne’s squad was impacted by sickness in the days leading up to their Carrick clash with the likes of captain Tomas Cosgrove and Matty Lusty missing out.

However, Haveron’s side have now moved six points clear of second-placed Coleraine, who were beaten by Ballymena United, and still hold two matches in hand on the Bannsiders.

"I don’t think we expected anything less coming to Taylors Avenue on Boxing Day, it’s always going to be a difficult ask,” reflected O’Boyle. “We were missing so many key players, had a bit of sickness around the squad and boys maybe not playing at 100%.

"I thought we ground it out really well. We showed a late of character to come back and win the game...I thought when we got our equaliser there was only one team going on to win the game.

"(Christmas Day) was spent texting boys back and forward to see who was well, who wasn’t and how they had recovered from sickness.

“We found that urgency to keep pushing and hunting. We knew a draw wasn’t good enough, we wanted to win the game and thankfully we did that.”