Larne manager Tiernan Lynch. PIC: Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker
The defending champions currently trail leaders Linfield by eight points after 14 matches and sit third on goal difference behind Jim Magilton’s Reds ahead of their much anticipated meeting at Inver Park.
Lynch’s men have only lost one league match this season – a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Loughgall in September – and have since put another unbeaten run of seven matches together across all competitions, including last weekend’s triumph over Newry City.
They had to fight back from being a goal and man down at the Showgrounds on Saturday evening and it’s the start of a big month for Larne as they look to take another step towards defending their County Antrim Shield crown in a semi-final against Ballymacash Rangers while they’ll meet Ards in the BetMcLean League Cup last-16 on Tuesday.
“I’m going to focus on Cliftonville on Friday and it will go no further than that,” Lynch told the club’s media channel. “I know the teams around us had all won (ahead of Larne playing Newry) and it’s important psychologically that you get three points.
“There was probably a period where people were starting to doubt and question us and we rolled our sleeves up to make sure we keep hanging in there and digging in. Larne are far from out of this.”
After Joe Thomson scored twice from the bench against Newry and the likes of Craig Farquhar, Kieran Lloyd and Micheal Glynn were also left out of the starting side last time out, Lynch could make changes for their Cliftonville assignment.
The two sides couldn’t be separated earlier in the season when they drew 1-1 at Solitude and they boast the two best top-flight defensive records with the Reds conceding just seven times and Larne leaking only 10.
“That’s what squads are for,” added Lynch. “It has its good points and it can have its headaches too for a manager because you’re having to leave good players out of the squad or on the bench.
“Everybody wants to play and it’s the most difficult day of the week because they work so hard every single day and to leave them out can be tough.”
