Tiernan Lynch highlights added steel as Larne get ready for Carrick derby

Back-to-back Co Antrim Shield wins and Danske Bank Premiership delight on the opening weekend leave Larne heading for a derby date at Carrick Rangers with a clean sweep of clean sheets and success across the board.

“I think now as a team and a squad we have a bit more steel about us, a bit more solidity about us,” said Lynch on the club’s social media platform. “The boys are buzzing, there’s a real confidence about training, they just cannot wait to get on the pitch.

“We will put a gameplan together (against Carrick) and it’s important we carry that out.

“First and foremost you have to go in and win the battle - Carrick’s a tough place, they are a big, strong physical side.

“But our job’s to concentrate on us, what we do and how good we are.”

Carrick manager Niall Currie picked out the positives from his players’ performance last weekend before a Mark Surgenor red card allowed Linfield to build on a 2-1 lead and finish 5-1 up.

“For me, that didn’t reflect the game or what happened before our skipper’s dismissal with what I felt was an extremely harsh red card,” said Currie. “Up to that point we had dug in, got our goal back after a poor start and were really looking dangerous on the counter.

“Unfortunately, losing Alex Gawne again with his thigh is a big blow to us and without Mark it’s going to be an extremely difficult afternoon against a team challenging to win this league.

“But that’s why we want to be in the league for many years and sustain ourselves.

“Larne have assembled a great side but nothing is impossible, we have to make sure we can be the best we can on our pitch.

“When we do that we can make it very difficult for all the top teams coming to us.

“We know the importance for our fans, so will leave everything out there for them.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world.

But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you