'Phenomenal' Tiernan Lynch set to stay at Larne despite St Johnstone interest
Tiernan Lynch will lead Larne into Irish League history this week – after an end to his proposed St Johnstone switch.
Reports over the weekend highlighted how the Scottish Premiership club viewed Lynch as the number one candidate to fill the vacant manager’s role and that a compensation package had been agreed with Larne following initial talks with the boss.
However, Scottish media outlets have now reported a collapse in talks over terms for Lynch, his brother Seamus and coach Gary Haveron to make the move from the Irish League to St Johnstone.
Irish League sources have confirmed to the News Letter that Lynch will now remain in charge of a Larne club he has steered to back-to-back Premiership titles.
Now the focus will switch to domestic duties, with Larne facing H&W Welders on Tuesday across the BetMcLean Cup before Thursday’s away clash at Molde in the UEFA Conference League – a tie which will mark the first time ever an Irish League club has tackled the group stages of European football.
Lynch was in charge on Friday night as his defending Irish League champions bounced back from 1-0 down to defeat Cliftonville by 3-1 at Solitude.
He did not take part in any post-match media duties, with Larne first-team coach Haveron instead put before the press.
Lynch and Aberdeen’s Peter Leven had been named as the two leading candidates for St Johnstone, following the Scottish Premiership club parting ways recently with Craig Levein
Now it is understood former Motherwell player Simo Valakar, the current Riga boss, is the main St Johnstone target.
Andy Kirk, a former Northern Ireland, has been in charge on an interim basis.
St Johnstone met Celtic on Saturday evening in the Scottish Premiership and visit Rangers next Sunday.
Haveron, when recently asked about speculation linking Lynch away from Larne, described the manager’s achievements inside the Irish League as “phenomenal”.
"He's a great manager,” continued Haveron on BBC Sport NI. "He's relentless...he's had the vision and the drive.”