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Steven Crawford

Larne FC: Kenny Bruce took the Invermen from dreamers to believers

Kenny Bruce's dream of bringing Champions League football to Inver Park is edging closer to reality after Larne were crowned Irish League champions.

Bruce famously spoke of dreaming about the iconic Champions League anthem blasting out around the ground a year after his takeover of the club in 2017.

While some maybe scoffed at his lofty ambitions while the club where still fighting their way out of the Championship, Bruce's determination to bring success to his hometown club never faltered.

Read more: David Healy offers up honest assessment as Linfield's title defence ends

Their development, both off and on the pitch, developed at pace and it wasn't long before Larne were rubbing shoulders with the big guns at the top table.

People were starting to believe that this club, that for so long had only two Ulster Cup wins to show as major honours, were now genuine title contenders.

The Larne fans have come out in their numbers to support the club (©INPHO/Jonathan Porter)

Questions have been asked of them all along the way, but they took them on the chin and bounced back stronger each time.

Even this season when people expected them to crack with the Linfield juggernaut breathing down their necks they produced impressive performances, flexing the muscles and heaping the pressure back on to their rivals again.

In boss Tiernan Lynch they have a manager who is not only a safe pair of hands, but also someone who was capable of regenerating a team that had gone from the Championship to challenging at the top of the Premiership.

Now obviously some will point to the financial investment in the club, and while money does make life easier in terms of recruitment, you still have to get a tune out of your squad.

The coaching squad at Inver Park have certainly done that this season.

Shaun Want and Aaron Donnelly came in to strengthen a backline which has kept over 30 clean sheets this season.

Paul O'Neill added another dimension to the attack, and in Leroy Millar they have one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the league, who is a real driving force in this team.

The redeveloped Inver Park (©INPHO/Brian Little)

The January captures of Andy Ryan, Joe Thomson and Micheál Glynn though have been vital in getting over the line, with all three making a telling contribution.

The wins over Glentoran and Cliftonville in the past week not only highlighted the quality in the squad, but also the desire and hunger to bring success to the club.

Remarkably it is over 20 years since a provincial club last lifted the Gibson Cup when Portadown were crowned champions in the 2001-02 season.

General view at Inver Park (David Cavan)

But perhaps even more remarkable than that you have to go back to 1974 for the last time a team outside of the Ports or Belfast last won the league, when Coleraine won the league under Bertie Peacock.

Something tells me we won't have to wait that long again!

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