Soccer

Leaders Larne fully focussed on visit to Linfield, insists Lynch

Larne's Leroy Millar celebrates scoring during the 4-2 win over Linfield at Windsor Park last month. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker
Larne's Leroy Millar celebrates scoring during the 4-2 win over Linfield at Windsor Park last month. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Larne's Leroy Millar celebrates scoring during the 4-2 win over Linfield at Windsor Park last month. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

NIFL Premiership: Linfield v Larne (Windsor Park, 7.45pm)

A DOUBLE-FIGURE lead at the top of the Irish League could be Larne's by the end of Friday night – but their manager Tiernan Lynch is adamant that they are singularly focussed on facing Linfield tonight.

Leaders Larne are five points clear of second-placed Cliftonville, and nine in front of reigning champions Linfield, all having played 15 league games so far.

Yet although the Inver Reds have responded very impressively to their only league defeat so far, a 4-0 thumping at Glentoran, by winning their last four matches, Lynch points to their most recent outing, a hard-fought 2-1 win at home to struggling Dungannon Swifts, as a warning sign:

"We're very, very conscious how strong this League is - Friday night showed you that. Dungannon, a week before you beat them four nil and then they brought us to the wire on Friday night. That's testament to this League. There are no gimmes; anything you get you have to work extremely hard for."

Lynch is also fully aware that Larne went to Windsor and won 4-2 last month: "I know Linfield are gonna probably come out of the blocks firing. We obviously went there a couple weeks ago and had a decent result and they'd be looking probably to put that right.

"I think the big thing with us is, we use the word 'Respect'. We give everybody the same respect. Dungannon got the same respect on Friday night that Linfield will get.

"We are where we are and we do what we do. And we will not change, regardless of who we play."

That approach will mean taking Linfield on, not least because Larne are the league's joint top scorers, having netted 35 times so far, the same as Crusaders, who have played a game more.

"I think we're a very attacking team and we won't want to change that. Our job will be to go and have a go. If we're good enough, we'll get something out of it, and if we're not then we'll be back to the drawing board and we'll try to put that right on Friday night. That has to be our mentality, we block out the outside noises and we go, make sure we give 100 per cent."

Beat the Blues and Coleraine at Inver on Friday night and Larne will be sitting pretty, but Lynch dismisses such talk:

"People are sick listening to me, trying to bat this away, but I genuinely don't look at it like that. I look at it that our only thinking is about Linfield, Windsor Park, home of the league champions - to go and get anything from that game is gonna be a really tough thing to do.

"But we have to go there and give a good account of ourselves we have to go there and be nice and confident and work really hard. We talked about giving that 100% and that's it. Friday night is a totally different game and the week after is another different game and a different challenge and tomorrow night is the only thought process in our heads. Anything else is all you boys talking, not me."