Haveron and Shiels on Larne's 2-1 win at Coleraine
Larne remained one point behind Glentoran in the battle for second place in the Irish Premiership thanks to a 2-1 win at Ballycastle Road.Andy Ryan gave Larne an early lead, before Declan McManus equalised before half-time and then Paul O'Neill netted the winner from the penalty spot in the second half.Larne manager Gary Haveron: "Really hard fought. We had to be gritty, we had to show character. We had to dig in, we had to defend at times, but that's exactly what the boys did."To a man today we were outstanding. To come away from here with any result is incredibly difficult, especially in the second half of the season the way they have really kicked on."It's been a hard run, that's 10 out of 11 games away from home for us. It's been really difficult, anything we've achieved this season we've had to do it the hard way. It's been a long hard season up to this point."Now we're down to the business end and we have to keep digging in."Larne are at home to Linfield and Glentoran in their final two fixtures of the campaign.Coleraine manager Dean Shiels: "It's disappointing to lose. We haven't had that losing feeling recently and it's a hard one to take."Especially under the circumstances of the penalty that was given it's extremely disappointing."Those are the fine margins in a game where we had all the play, all the territory. It's disappointing that a referee's decision has decided the outcome."I thought we were the likelier team to win it but you never switch off with the quality that Larne have."We've just got to lick our wounds and move on now."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
14 hours ago
- BBC News
Glentoran's time will come with fine tuning
Glentoran owner Ali Pour says the club just needs a bit of "fine tuning" and he will "give it as long as it takes" for the club to achieve took over at the Irish Premiership side six years ago and the club have only won an Irish Cup and County Antrim Shield in that season, Declan Devine guided the club to the County Antrim Shield and a third place finish in the league, when a top-two finish would have secured European they missed out on Europe by losing the play-off semi-final, and were defeated in the BetMcLean Cup final and quarter-finals of the Irish admits it was a "disappointing season" but says the club are "getting there"."We've had a few hiccups along the way, but we are very close. "Had we scored an extra goal and finished second, this would be a very different conversation. Fine margins have resulted in where we are today."The gap isn't huge. I expected better results in the last six years, in terms of silverware. We should have won more trophies, no one can dispute that. "But it's never a huge gap. It's always fine margins. Many of the games we lost or drew last season were so finely poised. We were one goal away from finishing second. "The level is up there, the squad performance, Declan's performance - it's all where it should be. I think we just need a bit of fine tuning."Glentoran haven't won the league since the 2008-09 season, but Pour says he believes the Gibson Cup will return to the Oval sooner rather than later. "Our time will come eventually, whether it's under my control or others. "We are serious contenders. There's no reason why it can't happen - the budget's there, we're still signing top players, Declan is more than qualified and capable of bringing the Gibson Cup here."If I didn't think we were capable, I probably wouldn't invest as much. What would be the point? We are capable of doing it and I'm sure one day we will, Who knows, it could be this season." 'Strong bid' for stadium redevelopment Something that the London-based owner believes could add to Glentoran's all round success and improve things on and off the pitch, is a new League clubs are awaiting news on how much money they will receive from the long-awaited Northern Ireland Football Fund. In Pour's eyes his club have submitted the best application and have requested a large portion of the available £36 million."When you look at the Oval, the stadium is falling apart here and I've seen other stadiums that need money. We have waited long enough. "The government has made a decision that they are going to put an amount of money into football. £36 million is not enough by any means for the whole league, so hopefully there will be more to come."Pour says the club have "ticked all the boxes" with a strong bid, and says it is a "big chunk" of the fund."We put a very, very strong bid in and I am very proud of what we have done. We have asked for a lot, we've asked for a big chunk. "Look, we can build a stadium for £20 million, we can build one for £100 million. It just depends how advanced you want it to be."Our need is clear, we sell out many big games because there is space available, but it's jut not safe. "In terms of impact, our social partnership has done wonders in this area and we understand the need to be sustainable. So, we're very optimistic." 'We're missing a talisman' After finishing third this season, the east Belfast side lost their European play-off semi-final to Cliftonville, something Pour admitted falls well short of the club's standards."European football is very important financially and from an emotional perspective. I was disappointed at the end of the season as our squad was more than capable of progressing through Europe. "We put a very strong team together, so we could have done really well had we qualified for Europe. It was hard to see us not get in there and obviously we could have made a lot of money in Europe in the next few months.""Emotionally, the fans and myself, we deserve to be in Europe. We're a full time club, we're very well financed, we've spent a lot of money over the past few years. It should be a given. "Even statistically speaking, there are four places available. We're a top two/top three team, we should be in Europe every year. Now this is the second year we haven't qualified, it's disappointing." Looking ahead to next season and summer transfers, Pour said manager Declan Devine has identified the positions they need to have already signed Scottish midfielder Liam Burt from Shamrock Rovers and Pour stressed there would be further additions."We may bring in two or three more players to strengthen our squad for next season. We're missing a talisman, we're still lacking a real goalscorer, someone who pulls it all together. So, I think we need one more upfront and one in a more defensive position."The club's women's team have achieved great success in recent seasons, wining three of the last five NIFL Premiership titles, achieving European football and most recently topping their group in the All-Island Cup to progress to the quarter-finals where they will host Dublin side Bohemians."The women's team are the thing that cheers me up," said Pour. "When the men's team isn't doing to well, they give me energy. The manager, Kim [Turner], is doing a great job."They've had a great start to the season and are doing so well in the All-Island Cup. I will support them all the way."
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Joining Larne was the best move I made, but I'm home for my daughter, says ex-Accies ace
Shaun Want is back in Scotland and looking for a club after three years in Northern Ireland Rutherglen ace Shaun Want says moving to Larne in Northern Ireland was the best decision of his career – but needs a return to Scotland after the birth of his infant daughter. Larne finished second in the Northern Ireland Football League Premiership, qualifying for the Europa Conference League play-off, but Want is out of contract after three years at the club. A contract extension offer was on the table, but 28-year-old Want has opted to return home for family reasons. Larne's Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year, and also the recipient of three fans' Player of the Year awards, wants a return to Scotland, following the birth of daughter Amelia seven months ago. He said: 'I'm out of contract, and they've offered me one, but I'm not long having a baby, I have a seven-month old daughter, so I'm looking at my options. 'There's more to life than football, now, when you have a wee one. I've been living away and for seven months I've been back and forth. 'I've got to the stage now that I just want to be closer to home and be with my daughter every day. 'It has been brilliant at Larne – if it was a different situation I'd still be here, because I've loved every minute of it. 'It was a good season. We finished second in the league and qualified for Europe, and it was a good season for me, personally, with all the awards. 'We reached the league phase of the Conference League last season, which was an added bonus, and with us finishing second, we qualified for the play-offs for the Conference League.' Want came up through the youth set-up at Hamilton Accies, but left there for Larne in 2022. He said: 'It's the best decision I've made for me, personally, in my career. Playing in Europe and winning leagues is something I never thought I'd be able to achieve. 'I was at Hamilton for 13 years, and there were ups and downs, but I think it got to the point where I needed a fresh start. 'I think I went at the right time and I got that fresh start, I was there for so long, but I have nothing bad to say about the club. I wasn't playing every week at Hamilton, because I'd been there for so long I think I ended up being part of the furniture, and I think it was just the right thing for me to get a fresh start. 'I went to Larne, basically as an unknown, and I've loved every minute. 'Going there was a whole different experience, but my circumstances have changed, and I need to get back home for the family.' Want added: 'If I'm coming back to Scotland, I'm coming back a better player and a much better person, too. 'I'm realistic enough to know that Premiership would be hard to get, so I'm probably looking for an opportunity in the Championship. 'I want an opportunity to come back to Scotland and prove my ability here, because I've been over in Northern Ireland for three or four years. 'I feel that I would be coming back as a better player.' A statement from Larne read: 'We can confirm that Shaun Want will depart the club upon the expiry of his contract this month, returning to Scotland for family reasons. 'The club respects Shaun's decision to put family first and wishes him the best of luck at his next club. Thank you for your time as an Inver Red.'
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Former Linfield and Glentoran striker eager to see others emulate his Canadian odyssey: ‘I would definitely say go for it'
Former Linfield and Glentoran striker Daryl Fordyce is encouraging coaches and players from Northern Ireland to broaden their horizons as he continues his coaching career in Canada. The Belfast man is assistant manager of Valour FC, and while he's focused on that role, he can feel excitement building ahead of the 2026 World Cup kicking-off in the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of 2026.
