'This is where you want to be' - Tiernan Lynch keen to embrace European challenge as Larne prepare for crunch UEFA Conference League clash with Shamrock Rovers
Tiernan Lynch says competing on the European stage is where Larne “want to be” after putting in the hard yards over eight years to set up occasions like this evening’s crunch UEFA Conference League showdown against Shamrock Rovers at Windsor Park.
In a fixture which pits the Northern Irish champions against Republic of Ireland’s reigning kings, this date has been circled on the calendar of football fans since the draw was conducted in August and is arguably the standout tie of Larne’s continental schedule.
When Lynch took over at Inver Park, the County Antrim outfit were languishing in the Championship, but since Kenny Bruce’s investment in 2017 they’ve went from strength to strength, winning consecutive Premiership titles and have now taken a historic step in Europe.
Nights like these makes all the sacrifices worthwhile for the Larne boss and he wants his team to enjoy the occasion while remaining competitive.
"It's been an exciting week,” he said. "It's one everybody keeps talking about the whole European campaign and there's no doubt there's a challenge with it and it's definitely thrown curve balls in there.
"It's got you out of your comfort zone but that's what this is about for us and there's no doubt there's more games and not as much time on the training pitch.
"We keep talking internally about this is where you want to be. This is eight years of hard work, blood, sweat, tears, grey hairs and all that goes with it to put ourselves into this position.
"It's important that we enjoy the opportunity and we don't just go there to make up the numbers. There are definitely areas we feel we can impose on certain games and certain times and that's our challenge.”
Larne’s maiden Conference League fixture ended in a 3-0 defeat to Norwegian outfit Molde last month and Lynch admits “belief” has been one of the main lessons driven home ahead of facing Rovers, who are challenging for the League of Ireland title once again.
"The thing that probably made me most proud was how disappointed they were in the changing room after the game,” he added. "We've been talking a lot about belief - not just belief in our own team and internally - but belief in this league, belief in the players in this league.
"If we can crack that nut and believe we have every right to be here...there's things we can do better and we need to be more professional in lots of different areas to get closer to the opposition around us, but that's a process.”