Excitement builds as Larne on the cusp of first Irish Premiership title

Larne Football Club, formed in 1889, will win the Gibson Cup for the first time tonight (Friday, April 14) if they avoid defeat against Crusaders in north Belfast.

Tiernan Lynch’s side, currently nine points clear of second-placed Linfield at the top of the Danske Bank Irish Premiership standings, just need a point from their final three games (Crusaders, Linfield, Coleraine) to get their hands on the trophy.

Ahead of tonight’s game at Seaview (7.45pm), excitement is building across the east Antrim coastal town and further afield.

Taking to Twitter, Larne supporter Ally Kerr posted a picture of himself with player Shaun Want, captioning it “1 point is all I Want.”

Posting on social media this morning, supporter Michael Ellison said: “C’mon Boys!!”

Bill Guiller, who works as a photographer for the club, posted: “All the very best to firstly to all the players and staff at Larne FC.

“I’m not counting chickens, but hopefully us fans really have a special evening at Seaview, especially those that travelled for many years through the tough times. You especially deserve this night.”

Supporter @Invermilarne on Twitter posted: “Soooo close now. 1 more point. Too many heartbreaks over the decades…just get it over the line.”

Commenting on Facebook, another local resident said: “Best of luck lads for tonight. Make the town and fans and Kenny Bruce proud. RAWA.”

Anyone unable to attend tonight’s match can watch it on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.