Tiernan Lynch is urging his Larne players to become more cut-throat as the race for the Premiership enters the home straight.
The Inver Reds endured a needlessly edgy finale to Saturday’s 2-1 victory over title rivals Cliftonville.
Two goals to the good thanks to strikes from Leroy Millar and Andy Ryan, facing a team who had been reduced to 10 men after Jamie McDonagh was sent off, Larne dozed off with just under 10 minutes to play.
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Jonny Addis took advantage of slack defending to halve the deficit with a thumping finish for the visitors and all of a sudden the atmosphere changed.
“It was definitely nervy - unnecessarily nervy, which was disappointing,” admitted Lynch. “We just talked about it in the changing-room. We were two-nil up and in a really good place.
“Then we took our foot off the gas and started playing backwards and taking extra touches on the ball when what we should’ve done is gone and sliced throats.
“Ultimately though, as long as we learn from it, then you can take it.”
As ever, Lynch was keen to emphasise how his team are all about the collective but he also had words of praise for his two goal scorers.
“This is the most resilient team I’ve had in my time here. I tell them every day and I don’t apologise for it, they’re a team that have a little bit of everything.
“They have size, strength, power, pace, energy; they can play, their work ethic is frightening and that’s every day.
“With Leroy, when we brought him in one of the things we talked about was that for his strength and his ability to get into the box, his size and his powerful strike, in my opinion he didn’t score enough goals.
“To be a top midfielder in the Irish League - which in my opinion he definitely is - you need to add goals to your game, and I think Leroy is now doing that.
“He started off the season like a house on fire, he probably had a little dip, which happens to every player throughout the season, and hopefully he’s found his shooting boots again.
“With Andy, the word I’d probably use is that he gives you a little bit of guile.
“He’s 28 years of age, he’s scored over 100 goals in Scottish football and he’s clever.
“He reads the game really well, he’s going to be a top player I think.”
It was a tough afternoon for Cliftonville, who were outplayed for the vast majority of the game. But assistant coach Declan O’Hara insisted they’ll quickly dust themselves down.
“There’s a long way to go, nine games and 27 points to play for,” he said. “We all know this league’s crazy at the minute, anybody can win it.
“We’re not finished yet. ‘We’re here for the fight, we’re not going away.”
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