Larne defender Shaun Want has warned that the Invermen must be vigilant in Norway on Thursday night when they take on Molde in the Conference League.
The team from northern Norway sit third in the Eliteserien, nine points behind League leaders Bodo/Glimt with just six games to play.
Molde are in a rich vein of goalscoring form, bagging 17 goals in five games over the month of September including a 5-3 win over Tromso on Saturday. Earlier in the month, Fredrikstad were put to the sword in a 6-1 win.
Former Hamilton Academical defender Want is well aware that one error in the Aker Stadion could prove fatal, and that a series of mistakes could lead to a heavy loss.
He said: “Mistakes can be punished at any level, but at European level against teams like Molde, they can hurt you very quickly.
“You need to defend from the front. Midfield needs to help, but for the defence itself it is vital we are always alert and speak to each other.
“If you’re not switched on they can punish you in a second. Against RFS we looked capable of getting something from the game in the first 20 minutes, but they scored three in five or 10 minutes before half-time. They were just ruthless — it’s important that you stay turned on.”
The Scottish centre-back may well be charged with tying down former Manchester United youth product Magnus Wolff Eikrem.
The 34 year-old is a classy operator, who is equally adept in either midfield or attack. The playmaker enjoyed a stint in the Premier League with Cardiff City under fellow countryman Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2014, and has won 17 caps for Norway.
In his second stint in his hometown club, Eikrem has scored over 50 League goals. Other men to watch include Nigerian international Amkar Perm and Midtjylland loanee Ola Brynhildsen.
While Want is excited by the prospect of playing against such an established team, he understands the Larne’s priority remains their fight to win the Irish League title for a third time in a row.
These six Conference League games have created something of a fixture nightmare for the Invermen, with Thursday’s match in Molde the third game in less than six days.
However, the 27 year-old says the club will not shirk the challenge.
He explained: “We wanted to be at this level of European football, so we could play in fixtures like this.
“It’s a tough fixture list for sure, but that’s why we have built a big squad so we have that strength and depth.
“Every player in the first team squad is going to be utilised at some point, and some of the academy players will get games in Cup games.”
However, Want believes the title race will likely go down to the wire with potentially more than just the usual two suspects involved.
“The League is exciting this year. It’s not just us and Linfield, there are other teams like Ballymena who are flying.
“That’s what you want. You want a competitive League full of strong teams, not just one or two.”
Larne’s first team coach Gary Haveron believes the Conference League adventure will be a learning experience for Want and his teammates.
He said: “We know the home games are going to be vital. Away from home, you’ve got to be realistic about the level of opposition and quality we are coming up against.
“They sold Haaland a few seasons ago, that’s the quality they can have. They don’t have him now, obviously, but they have some really, really talented boys who could do you damage.
“Every away game, we want to see if we can do the same as we did against Ballkani (1-0 win).”