Danske Bank Premiership: Larne v Glentoran (tonight, 7.45pm)
THERE has been much soul-searching at Larne this week. The Inver Park outfit were intent on being title contenders this season but entering the business end of the campaign are way off the pace.
With 11 games left in the Irish Premiership, Tiernan Lynch's team are in fifth place and 15 points behind league leaders Glentoran who they host tonight.
When Larne won 3-2 at the Oval on New Year's Day, they were in the championship race but since then four defeats in six league games have seen them drop back amongst the also rans.
The last two losses have been particularly hard to take for Lynch and his staff - both 2-1 reverses away to Linfield and at home to Crusaders with every goal conceded alarmingly poor from Larne's perspective.
If they defend like that against Glentoran this evening another defeat beckons and whisper it their place in the top six before the split will start to come under threat which would have been unthinkable last summer when Larne were performing brilliantly in Europe delivering impressive results.
While league form has gone off the rails lately, this year they have been able to celebrate retaining the County Antrim Shield and are in the quarter-finals of the Irish Cup so there is much to play for. Putting in a strong display against Glentoran might just kick start the team for a big finish.
"We have to put our hands up and take responsibility. The goals we are conceding aren't good enough and in big moments we are letting ourselves down collectively. Our fans deserve more," was the honest assessment of Lynch.
"We are conceding too many stupid goals and it has killed our season as far as where we are in the league.
"We can't make excuses. It starts with me and then it runs through to the players. It's hugely frustrating. The Crusaders match was similar to the game at Windsor Park previously where we went 1-0 down and got ourselves back into the game and looked like we had the momentum to go on and win the game and then we conceded a poor goal.
"The boys work extremely hard every day and they are a good bunch of boys but what we are doing right now is not good enough."
There have been frank discussions between players and management this week in a bid to find the formula to put things right with Lynch determined to fight for the club to end the campaign on a high.
"We can't throw the towel in. There is still a lot to play for this season," stated Lynch.
"It's about what we do between now and when the final ball is kicked. We either roll over or stand up. My stance is I will be standing up and that's what we will be doing as a team."
Having beaten Linfield 1-0 last Friday, Glentoran can push six points ahead of the champions with an away win tonight prior to David Healy's side hosting Portadown tomorrow.
