ENTRIES AVAILABLE ON HTTPS://LARNEAC.CO.UK Larne AC B5 Programme Ad.indd 1 22/02/2019 01:04 ESTABLISHED 1889 BY ANDREW SCULLION Owner: Kenny Bruce LARNE FOOTBALL CLUB is very firmly We will have the largest attendance at concentrating on the Cup tonight. The Inver Park for a competitive match this Trustees phrase ‘concentrating on the Cup’ season, and it could well surpass the Kenny Bruce, Gareth Clements, usually means that you’re nowhere in attendance for the Rangers friendly in Robert Hutchinson, Roy Logan, John the league and have nothing left to play October. It is vital that our supporters McKinstry, Raymond Robinson. Board of Directors for other than trying to put together a make their presence felt tonight. Chairman: Gareth Clements, decent Cup run. That, however, could Ian Cahoon, Willie Carson, Lyn not be further from the truth for Larne. Under Tiernan Lynch, Larne have Kernohan, Mervyn McKay, Andrew been very strong at home with only McNickle, Raymond Robinson, Andrew Scullion, Archie Smyth. February is only just behind us and Institute and Ards coming out on top at Commercial Director: Gavin incredibly only six consecutive defeats Inver Park in almost two seasons. The Clements for Larne and six wins for Carrick unbeaten home record is now some Marketing Executive: Chris Liddle Rangers coupled with a 40+ swing in 16 months long, but tonight will be a Media: Ian Cahoon, Andrew Neill, Ross Nicholson, Lewis McAdam, goal difference can deny the Inver severe test of that record. Andrew Scullion, Peter Wilson. Reds the title. Men’s First Team Whilst there have been personnel Manager: Tiernan Lynch We host Ballinamallard United next changes at Coleraine and they haven’t Assistant Manager: Seamus Lynch Saturday with just a single point matched last season’s achievements in First Team Coach: Tim McCann Goalkeeping Coach: Michael required to secure the club’s first the Danske Bank Premiership, they will Dougherty league title since the B Division triumph be eager to successfully defend the Strength & Conditioning Coach: in 1972 and our first promotion to the Tennent’s Irish Cup. Darren McWilliams top flight since 2003. Sports Therapist: Joe Crawford Team Attendant: Martin Bird It’s a tantalising tie, so much so that we Larne Ladies Last season’s Tennent’s Irish Cup welcome the BBC cameras for tonight’s Manager: William Noble run was memorable and certainly game. For the first time ever, a match Assistant Manager: Gary Hood contributed to the buzz which has built will be broadcast live on TV from Inver Coach: Craig Leworthy Olympic Manager: Daniel Carlisle around the club over the last 18 months. Park. That, in itself, is a little piece of Team Attendant: Elaine Kernaghan history for the club and Inver Park. Development Squad (Olympic/ Our Quarter Final win away to U18s) Ballymena United felt like a landmark It has been a remarkable season, the Manager: Hugh McKendry result in many ways. A major like of which we’re unlikely to see Assistant Manager: Neil Candlish Larne Youth contributing factor was that the town again, but perhaps the taking of a Head of Youth Development: Niall and everyone at the club were well major Danske Bank Premiership scalp Curneen keyed up for it. is missing from that. Football Development Manager: Gary Haveron Girls Football Development: Daniel We took an incredible crowd for a Despite being competitive, Tiernan Carlisle mid week cup tie to Ballymena and Lynch’s side were edged out by Chairman: Willie Carson, Vice the vocal backing the team received Crusaders and Glentoran earlier this Chairman: John Ross, Secretary: that night inspired them to go on and season. Tonight is a real chance to put Andrew McNickle, Treasurer: Gregg Humphrey, Child Protection perform superbly. that right. Officer: Miriam Buchan, Assistant Child Protection Officer: Tom The challenge for our support is to bring We Are Larne. Buchan, Committee Members: Jon that same level of support tonight. Greer, Julianne Liken, Donna Marie Maguire, Kate Maxwell. Sam McFaul. MANAGER GOOD EVENING and welcome to Inver Park for a much anticipated game. Games and occasions like this don’t come much bigger than this at the stage of the season we’re at, but it’s times like that we’re here for. We talk day in, day out, and in our team meetings about big matches and that’s what everyone wants to be involved in. The message is - go and enjoy this. We have gone on a great journey together, but we haven’t done anything yet, so we have to have that hunger to keep progressing. Coleraine are a very good side, they’ve taken some big scalps this year but we’ll have a game plan that we’ll stick to and I’ve no doubt these boys won’t let anyone down. We made changes at the Welders because some people needed a rest and others needed minutes. Now as a management team we have a headache because people have come in and staked their claim - but it’s a good headache to have. I have to give the players enormous credit for Saturday as well, because they showed tremendous heart, character and professionalism. We did what we could do, which was win the match. I wouldn’t have made the changes we did if we didn’t think we had a squad to pick from who could come to a place like that and win. We have a squad that we believe in and everyone is capable of starting matches and doing what we want them to, and Saturday proved that. People talk about Larne being soft in the belly and they need the right pitch and everything else, but we went to the Welders rolled our sleeves up and dug out a very important three points. Finally, my message to the fans is that you have been absolutely and utterly phenomenal all season. You are, without a shadow of a doubt, our 12th man and we need that from now until the end of the season. Thank you, Tiernan. CHAIRMAN GOOD EVENING everybody and welcome to Inver Park for tonight’s Tennent’s Irish Cup Quarter Final tie with the current cup holders Coleraine. I’d like to extend an especially warm welcome to our visitors from the North West and I wish them an enjoyable visit to Larne. It is quite surreal writing this and welcoming ‘live’ BBC cameras to Inver Park for the first time in our history. Yes, it was always in our plan, however it has arrived a little earlier than expected. Like everything that has come our way since Kenny Bruce got involved, we have embraced the challenge, risen to it and I’d like to think we have delivered. In little over ten days we have poured 200 cube of concrete, fitted 749 seats and put lighting on the Riverside walkway. We have held countless meetings with planners, contactors, BBC, PSNI and local authority to ensure we got this show on the road. My thanks go to everyone who has worked around the clock to make it happen. Delivering a best in class surface and floodlighting is all well and good, but we all know atmosphere makes a game by helping lift the players performances, so we needed to accommodate as many visiting fans as safely possible to ensure that happened. I think we’ve done our best to deliver on this. I hope the BBC get the spectacle they deserve and that the improved Inver Park comes across well aesthetically and both clubs showcase the best that NIFL and the IFA bring to the local game. I have talked before about the romance of the Tennent’s Irish Cup and it being the blue riband club competition in Northern Ireland. The games and opportunities it has thrown up for the Larne clubs over the next two days fully back this up and bear testament to that old ‘magic of the cup’ saying. The majority of supporters inside Inver tonight will hope the result goes in the underdogs favour, and won’t need reminding how we felt after our semi-final reversal last year. I’d urge you to get behind the players from the start, in the hope that we can avenge this result and enjoy another opportunity to make the showcase day out in May. Like many Inver Reds, I’ll be on the road to South Down tomorrow to support our neighbours from Denis Harvey Park, as the Tech take on Warrenpoint Town. I know many of the boys in ‘Red & Green’ will be with us tonight, you have done both your club and our town proud in getting to the last eight. My message is simple, leave nothing out there and see where it takes you. No regrets, WWWW. All that remains is for me to thank tonight’s Match Sponsor MyHomeMove, our Match Ball Sponsor Larne Athletic Club and our season long sponsors, the Curran Court Hotel, Graham’s Pizza and Classic Drinks. Let’s make Inver LOUD and PROUD tonight! Regards Gareth CAPTAIN TONIGHT’S game is one that we are all looking forward to. A quarter-final against Coleraine is a big test for us, but if we didn’t have a belief that we could win the game, then we wouldn’t be here. That belief has been instilled in us from Kenny Bruce and the management team all season. When we look back to last season’s game between the teams, I came away a bit dis- appointed to be honest. We went into that game as big underdogs, but I just felt we had a bit more to give than we showed on the day.