Tiernan Lynch praises Larne's academy progression after talented stars help club handle hectic schedule
Tiernan Lynch has praised Larne’s academy staff for producing a number of talented young players that have helped the club handle a hectic fixture schedule.
With the Inver Reds qualifying for the UEFA Conference League, they’ve already played 17 competitive matches across competitions this term and for the first time are attempting to balance domestic duties with European exploits.
Their BetMcLean Cup opener against H&W Welders was staged just two days before a trip to Norwegian outfit Molde so academy technical director Andy Mitchell was handed the reins with Jeff Hughes, Chris Gallagher and Aaron Donnelly helping a youthful Larne side seal progression.
Ambrose Ajala is one player that has certainly grasped his early opportunity with the 17-year-old scoring a brace in both the Welders win and Co Antrim Shield success against Queen’s University.
Larne won the prestigious Harry Cavan Youth Cup for only the second time in their history last season and the likes of James Simpson, Logan Graham and Callum Cowan have all been handed first-team chances by Lynch.
The club have also done a superb job of developing more senior talent in the last few years with Lee Bonis (ADO Den Haag), Craig Farquhar and Kofi Balmer (both Crystal Palace) sold on for transfer fees after spending time at Inver Park – and they won’t be the last.
"Andy Mitchell has to take a huge amount of credit for the players he has coming through and the work that goes on behind the scenes which probably not everyone talks about,” said Lynch. "I know the first-team probably takes a lot of the headlines at Larne but what goes on behind the scenes here with our scholarship programme and professional development phase is superb.
"We knew it was never going to be a quick fix. If you look at the club now from when I came in eight years ago, I don't think anybody would have been talking about going on trial, but now we've international recognition and we've sold Kofi, Craig, Lee and there's lots of interest in a few that are around the first-team at the moment.
"We've had a number of kids on trial and with international recognition from the age of 15 all the way to 21."
It’ll be a more experienced Larne side that host Crusaders on Saturday afternoon as Lynch’s men get back to league duties after last weekend’s scheduled clash with Carrick Rangers was postponed due to Northern Ireland U21 call-ups for Dylan Sloan and Matty Lusty.
Due to their historic European run, the defending champions have played four matches fewer than high-flyers Ballymena United and Linfield, but Lynch has enjoyed the challenge of adapting to what will hopefully become a new normal.
"That old saying is 'you have to be careful what you wish for', but definitely they are great challenges,” he added. "There are so many new faces in the league now and new managers that you're being challenged all the time.
"I hadn't seen Crusaders play up until Saturday and it's a different team, different style and different personnel, so there's challenges in that.
"Then you go the next day to look at what (Shamrock) Rovers look like, how they set up, how they play and the talent they have in their team. That's what you want.”