Uefa Conference League: Larne focusing on Ballkani and not potential big money rewards

Larne boss Tiernan Lynch says he and his players will concentrate on the job in hand as they take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s Uefa Conference League third qualifying round home leg against Ballkani and not be distracted by the potential rewards for victory.

The Inver Park produced a heroic defensive display in Kovoso as Matty Lusty’s late goal earned a dramatic victory.

To put that result in context, Ballkani hammered Larne 7-1 on aggregate in Europe last season which included a 4-1 victory at Solitude.

If Larne can complete victory in the tie at Inver Park, it will put them one round away from clinching a prized place in the group stages of the competition which last year guaranteed clubs a minimum £3.5m.

And Larne’s opposition in the fourth qualifying would be the losers of Thursday’s tie between Lincoln Red Imps and Dinamo Minsk, with the Belarus club taking a 2-0 lead over the Gibraltar side going into their second leg.

However, Larne manager Lynch told BBC Sport Northern Ireland: “If you start looking that far ahead, you’ll forget what’s in front of you.

“The only thing we’re concentrating on now is Ballkani.”

Lynch will be without Lee Bonis who played his final Larne game in the first leg before moving to Dutch club Ado Den Haag earlier this week.

“We wish Lee the very best and hope he goes on to have a fantastic career at the next level but it now opens the door for Matty [Lusty] and for Matty to go in and prove that he can be that replacement.”

Lynch admits his side “rode our luck” over in Kosovo in a rearguard action but was thrilled by the defensive effort.

The Larne boss will now hope that infuses believe into his players for the second leg.

“It’s a hugely difficult game but we have to take confidence from last week.

“The biggest thing for all our Irish League clubs, us included, is believing we can play at this level and that we should belong at this level.”