Tiernan Lynch: Irish Cup semi-final defeat was a missed opportunity for Larne

The Inver Reds lost out to Ballymena United last term, but were able to bounce back from that disappointment by going on to collect the club’s first-ever Premiership title, winning their next three league matches to secure glory and Lynch will be hoping for a similar scenario this time around with his side currently holding a two-point advantage over Linfield.

Jonny Addis’ first-half header handed the Reds a lead before Ronan Hale’s late powerful strike beyond Rohan Ferguson ensured Jim Magilton’s Class of 2023/24 have the opportunity to end a 45-year wait for an Irish Cup triumph at Solitude.

Larne and Cliftonville will meet again on Tuesday in the final league fixture before the split and after losing within 90 minutes for just the second time this season, Lynch insists the County Antrim outfit were “a shadow” of themselves at Windsor Park.

"Up until we conceded I thought we were the better team and were doing all the things that we do - we got on the ball and we played, but when we conceded we just stopped doing all those things,” he said. "We went through a period of doing our own thing which we don't normally do.

"It's frustrating on our part and we've to bounce back from it now and take it on the chin.

"We deserved what we got in the end and there's no dressing it up or shying away from it - we got what we deserved. We just didn't do enough.

"I think the biggest thing we knew Cliftonville were strongest at was in transition and too often we just played into their hands.

"After we conceded we lost our shape and structure, which is something we normally never do and there was an element of eagerness on our part.

"Rather than be calm, composed and play our way back into the game, which we’ve done so many times, we probably did the opposite and got punished for it.”

"It's hugely disappointing because that's a shadow of this team and a shadow of the things they've done for pretty much two seasons.

"I'm really disappointed for them because it was an opportunity missed and they'll lie in their beds tonight kicking themselves, but we have to dust ourselves off and go again."

The result was further compounded by an injury to key player Levi Ives with the ex-Cliftonville wing-back stretchered off in the second-half.

"He's in a brace at the moment and they think he might have done his ACL,” added Lynch. “Levi has been tremendous this season - the whole team have been tremendous.

"You don't lose one game and start turning on each other.

"There's a lot of disappointment in there...they know more than anybody that we didn't perform tonight, we didn't do the things we're good at or the things that got us here. That's hard for us all."