Larne went into the second leg of their Uefa Conference League play-off round with a 2-0 aggregate lead over Lincoln Red Imps, giving them a strong chance to finish the job at Inver Park.
Seven days earlier, Larne had beaten Lincoln Red Imps 2-0 in Gibraltar, with both goals coming late after the hosts were reduced to 10 men when Yussef Flalhi Idrissi was sent off. Paul O'Neill and Kevin O'Hara were the scorers, and that result left Larne within touching distance of another place in the league stage.
The return match began with Matty Lusty shooting inside the opening 25 seconds, while Radoslav Gidzhenov started the game as Larne looked to protect and build on their advantage on home soil.
Massive chance for Larne
Captain Tomas Cosgrove said the message to the squad was simple: go out and grab the opportunity. He also described the occasion as absolutely massive for the town and for everyone involved with Larne Football Club.
That sense of occasion was obvious, because Larne were chasing qualification for the league stage for the second time in three years. With a 2-0 cushion from the first leg, they had put themselves in a strong position, but the second leg still carried the pressure that comes with being one match from a major European milestone.
For Larne, the task was clear. They had to turn a first-leg win in Gibraltar into a finished tie at Inver Park. For supporters, it was a chance to see whether the club could take another step forward on the European stage.
