Sport

Lynch eyes second Big Two scalp as Larne look to tighten grip on top spot

Larne's Lee Bonis celebrates after scoring in his side's 4-2 win over Linfield at Windsor Park last weekend. The Inver Park men are back in Belfast tonight in a top of the table clash with Glentoran
Larne's Lee Bonis celebrates after scoring in his side's 4-2 win over Linfield at Windsor Park last weekend. The Inver Park men are back in Belfast tonight in a top of the table clash with Glentoran Larne's Lee Bonis celebrates after scoring in his side's 4-2 win over Linfield at Windsor Park last weekend. The Inver Park men are back in Belfast tonight in a top of the table clash with Glentoran

TIERNAN Lynch is plotting back-to-back Big Two victories but knows his side face a huge test of their title credentials at the Oval tonight (7.45pm).

The Invermen are coming off the back of a highly impressive 4-2 win away to Linfield on Saturday, having threatened to run riot at Windsor Park.

Goals from Ben Doherty, Paul O’Neill, Lee Bonis and Leroy Millar saw them leading 4-1 before Ethan Devine pulled one back from a free-kick late on.

The victory helped to keep Lynch’s side at the top of the Danske Bank Premiership, one point and one place ahead of tonight’s hosts, Glentoran.

Lynch, a former assistant manager at the Oval, knows however the home side will be eyeing up top spot, which could be theirs with a victory.

Both clubs put their unbeaten record on the line tonight, with Lynch recognising a tough test awaits in East Belfast.

“Glentoran are a top side,” he said.

“They’re a bit like Linfield who we faced last week. We prepare to face a great side who can score a lot of goals and who aren’t conceding many either.

“They’ve got their tails up at the minute and are in fantastic form.

“We just have to concentrate on ourselves and what we do and see if we can go an execute the game plan we come up with.”

Lynch was also quick to keep his players’ feet on the ground after last week’s victory at Windsor, praising their character after steadying the ship having seen their two-goal lead cut in half just before half-time.

“There were times of adversity and we stood tall,” he added.

“We showed a lot of character when we had to and the players were actually disappointed in the two goals we conceded.

“It shows their hunger when you come to Windsor and score four goals, get three points but are still disappointed in the two they let in.”

Glentoran assistant manager Paul Millar, meanwhile, believes the Oval outfit are building from a solid platform.

The East Belfast side have only conceded one goal in their nine Premiership outings this season, keeping another clean sheet in their 1-0 win away to Newry last week.

“We’ve only conceded one goal in the league, which is some going,” he admitted.

“We have defended well all season which is down to the players - and I include all of them in that, because we defend from the front.

“We saw that against Newry again last week, but we managed to create chances to go along with it, which is important.”

Millar, who had a spell in charge of Larne a decade ago, knows the threat the table toppers can pose.

This is the second meeting between the sides after they opened the Premiership campaign with a tight 0-0 draw at Inver Park back in August and Millar is expecting another close encounter.

“Larne have been playing very well,” he said.

“They’re top of the league. We played each other I the first game of the season in the TV games.

“After it, people said the teams look edgy, but I thought it was two teams with not a lot between them and I think the league table showing that.”