Irish Premiership: Larne v Linfield (Tuesday, Inver Park, 7.45pm)
LINFIELD urgently need to put the brakes on the runaway Larne train to stay in touch with the league leaders. David Healy’s Blues travel to Inver Park desperately in need of the three points that will allow them to leapfrog Cliftonville in the table and move to within four points of the seasiders.
Linfield manager Healy will be well aware of the task facing his side - Larne have won their last seven on-the-trot and their 1-0 win over H&W Welders in the Irish Cup last weekend stretched their unbeaten run to 13 games.
Victory tonight will leave Larne nine points ahead of Cliftonville and 10 ahead of Linfield meaning that the leaders will need to suffer a total collapse of form to be denied a first-ever top flight title.
"They’re all massive games now," said Larne manager Tiernan Lynch.
"Our big thing is we have to go and try to enjoy these games as best we can. We have worked unbelievably hard on and off the pitch as a club over the last six years trying to get into situations like this.
"We have to try and embrace it and enjoy it. I don't think the Linfield game will define our season but we have to embrace it and go and meet it head on."
This is the fifth meeting of the sides this season and Larne have won three of the previous four. Second half goals from Lee Bonis and Leroy Millar sealed a 4-2 victory at Windsor Park in October and, although Linfield avenged that loss with a 1-0 win in the next meeting, back-to-back cup wins (both after penalty shootouts) have tipped the balance of power Larne’s way.
With the County Antrim Shield already in the trophy cabinet, last weekend’s 1-0 win over H&W Welders sent Larne through to the Irish Cup semi-finals and kept them on course for a possible treble.
"Those are the type of games where you're damned if you do and damned if you don't because people expect you to go and beat them six or whatever," said Lynch.
"We spent a lot of time on the Welders. They beat Newry at The Showgrounds and Glenavon at Mourneview, they haven't lost a game since December, young ‘Spike’ Ferguson has 17 goals and they scored seven last Saturday.
"We probably missed a couple of chances early on which might have changed the nature of the game. I think the Welders have to take great credit they came and they stuck in there but our boys have to take a bit of credit too.”
Meanwhile, Coleraine will hope to return to winning ways when they host Ballymena United at the Showgrounds. After losing 2-0 to Crusaders and Linfield, Oran Kearney’s side take on the Braidmen who have become Cup specialists this season.
A 3-1 win over Ballyclare sent Ballymena into the Irish Cup semi-finals but they haven’t won in their last seven league outings.
Elsewhere, Glentoran could reclaim fifth place if they can see off Carrick Rangers. Carrick, 3-1 winners against Portadown last weekend, have climbed the table steadily since the turn of the year and have taken 10 points from their last six games.
