Tiernan Lynch hoping Larne can display attributes which separates great teams from good ones after UEFA Conference League defeat
Larne manager Tiernan Lynch says “great teams” are able to quickly put disappointment behind them and has challenged his side to do just that as they look to bounce back from their opening UEFA Conference League defeat against Molde in Sunday’s Premiership clash with high-flying Dungannon Swifts.
The Inver Reds broke new ground on Thursday evening by becoming the first Irish League side to play in the league phase of European competition and kept their Norwegian opponents at bay for 51 minutes before the hosts, who were packed full of international quality, netted three times at the Aker Stadion.
While Lynch’s men have created history and gained a significant financial windfall – qualifying for the Conference League is worth at least £2.4million with extra incentives for positive results – they’re also in uncharted waters of trying to balance the rigours of playing in Europe alongside domestic action.
Larne have played three league matches fewer than current leaders, and likely closest title challengers, Linfield at this early stage and host Rodney McAree’s Swifts at Inver Park as they look to keep their Gibson Cup hat-trick bid on track.
"That's always a big challenge when you come to nights like this with the razzmatazz, build up and all that goes with it,” Lynch told the club’s media channel. “Good teams will drop points but great teams will take this on the chin and move on and be very focused on what the next task is. Hopefully we become one of those great teams that can focus on the next task."
Larne impressed in the first-half with defensive structure helping keep Molde quiet, but when former Manchester United and Cardiff City midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem rifled an effort beyond Rohan Ferguson, Lynch felt his side “became a bit naive”.
Further goals from Norwegian international Ola Brynhildsen and Frederik Ihler followed – the latter in the dying seconds after Conor McKendry had been shown a straight red card – but Lynch preferred to focus on the positives and feels getting a first taste of the Conference League can only stand his side in good stead heading into their showdown with Shamrock Rovers at Windsor Park later this month.
"There were a huge amount of positives for 55 minutes and then I think when we conceded the first goal we became a bit naive and conceded goals we wouldn't normally,” he added. “There are a lot of disappointed heads because we don't normally concede goals in the manner which we did.
"You have to give the players great credit - they are a top side that has been in this position a million times and it was our first. It was a great learning experience for us and we have to go away and reflect on the things we did really well, but there were also things in there we needed to do better. We'll reflect and try to learn."
On Molde’s second, which came from a controversial free-kick, Lynch said: "I don't know whether I'm just used to Irish League football but that wasn't a free-kick in my eyes.
"Shauny (Want) went and won the ball cleanly and we were disappointed because the referee calls him out and doesn't let him set up, they take the free-kick so there was a bit of disappointment.
"That probably knocked the stuffing out of us a bit. There's lots of positives and we'll focus on them."