Tiernan Lynch says win over Coleraine gets monkey off the back as Conor McKendry nets winner against former club
Larne manager Tiernan Lynch says Sunday's win against Coleraine has helped put "a monkey off their backs".
After failing to win either of their domestic matches against Dungannon Swifts and Portadown following Conference League duty, Larne ensured there would be no repeat after a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Coleraine at Inver Park.
Larne's performance against St. Gallen on Thursday night was much improved on the European stage and they took the lead against Coleraine on 47 minutes when Paul O'Neill converted from Josh Seary's cross.
However, Coleraine levelled on 57 minutes as Lyndon Kane was allowed the freedom to burst into the box from deep and he found Jamie Glackin who made no mistake.
Larne quickly restored their winning cushion as Conor McKendry, who recently returned to the club from Coleraine in the summer, let fly from 25 yards and into the net.
To their credit, Coleraine will feel they should have left with something for their efforts as Matthew Shevlin was twice denied, before the striker looked certain to bag a last-gasp equaliser until Logan Wallace's timely intervention.
"It was a gutsy performance rather than a silky performance," Lynch said after the game.
"I thought it was one of those ones where we knew we had to probably dig in.
"We needed that monkey off our back from the European hangover that everyone is talking about.
"We needed to make sure we got something from the game today and being able to flip back from European football to the Irish League, there's a massive difference but I felt we did that brilliantly.
"That was the monkey off our back and the big fear was that it would be psychological and playing on their heads.
"Great credit to Coleraine as they kept going to the very end and we had Logan Wallace to thank for his tackle at the other end, otherwise it could have been a different outcome."
Lynch was without Scottish pair Shaun Want and Andy Ryan for the visit of the Bannsiders and he said he is “not sure” when he will have the duo back available ahead of Wednesday night’s clash against Crusaders in the County Antrim Shield.