Larne face European challenge in Gibraltar
Larne, the Irish League champions, are set to face a tricky Europa Conference League play-off game in Gibraltar against Lincoln Red Imps on Thursday evening (5pm UK time), where temperatures could reach up to 30°C.
Why it matters for Larne
Gary Haveron, the Larne boss, insists his team are 'representing the league' despite the NIFL 'not making things easy' in their European campaign. The Irish League champions face a tricky Europa Conference League play-off game in Gibraltar against Lincoln Red Imps on Thursday evening (5pm UK time), where temperatures could reach up to 30°C.
What comes next?
The Red Imps were the opposition two years ago for Larne, when they became the first Irish League club to reach the group stages of a European competition. Larne arrived in Gibraltar on Wednesday, four days after a 0-0 draw with fellow title rivals Coleraine in the Boyle Sports Premiership. Haveron believes that game should have been postponed to give the Inver Park men the best chance of progress, but is still focused on keeping the tie alive ahead of next week's second leg at home.
Larne are currently 9th in the Premiership, with 1 point from 1 game, and are 5 points behind leaders Cliftonville FC in the title race. They have scored 0 goals and conceded 0 this season, with their next fixture being against Crusaders FC at home on 2026-12-12.
The challenge ahead
"We have got to play at six o'clock in the middle of the heat that they have out in Gibraltar," Haveron said. "It's not easy and it could have been made a lot easier for us, but it is what it is. We will be as resilient as ever, and we will have a game plan. We'll prepare as best we possibly can and we'll do our best to represent the league, Northern Ireland, each other and the football club to get a result," he told the BBC.
The team's focus
"When we go out in Europe, we are not just representing Larne or the town, we are representing the league, NIFL and the country, so we want to do the country proud. If everyone and every club can benefit from it then brilliant and I am only glad to do it," Haveron said.
The team's current form
Larne's current league standing is 9th in the Premiership, with 1 point from 1 game, and they have scored 0 goals and conceded 0 this season. They are 5 points behind leaders Cliftonville FC in the title race and their next fixture is against Crusaders FC at home on 2026-12-12.
