Larne manager Tiernan Lynch says the tangible disappointment in the dressing room after their 3-0 Conference League loss to Molde is a sign of how far the club has come.
On a historic night in the Aker Stadion, captain Magnus Wolff Eikrem, forward Ola Brynhilds and sub Fred Ihler scored the goals in what was a relatively straight forward win for the Norwegian side.
However, Larne can take pride in shutting their higher-ranked opponents out for over 50 minutes.
Manager Lynch said: “We’re disappointed, but I think that speaks volumes about where these club has come from and where this league is.
“My frustration is the manner in which we conceded those goals. It’s very unlike us to conceded goals like that but at this level if you make mistakes you get punished.
“As long as we learn from this situations. As long was improve on how did tonight, then that’s progress. There are lots of positives to take from this game. We held our own for most of the game.”
Lynch believes that Molde’s first goal should not have stood. The move for Eikrem’s strike came from a free-kick that was harshly awarded against defender Shaun Want.
Lynch said: “We frustrated with the first goal. We feel hard done by because it came from a free-kick, but I don’t think it was a foul by Shaun Want. Then the ref calls Wanty out to talk to him, but he didn’t give him enough time to get back and to get settled.
“The knocked the stuffing out of us, because until then we were superb.
“But I’m not saying that cost us the game. I think we needed to be braver on the ball. We lacked a bit of belief in possession.
“You have to hold your hands up and say they were better than us on the night.”
In the 90th minute, while 2-0 down, Larne’s Conor McKendry received a red card for a mistimed tackle. The substitute had been on the pitch for just 10 minutes when he received his marching orders.
“He’s a good kid, his maybe been a bit naïve. But he’s not gone out there to get sent off on purpose. He will learn from this”, said Lynch.
Larne’s second match of the league phase is all-island derby with League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers at Windsor Park on October 24. Swiss side St Gallen visit St Gallen a fortnight later before Larne travel to Slovenia to play Olimpija.
Then, it’s off to Azerbaijan to play Belarusian outfit Dinamo Minsk before Larne’s league phase concludes against Belgian side Gent in Belfast.
Lynch hopes the Invermen will be better prepared for the Rovers match in three weeks, now that they have played their first game in the Conference League proper.
“The truth of the matter is, it was hard to separate the occasion from the match. Before the game we told the players they had to park everything and concentrate on the next 90 minutes.
“We get that this is a big deal because it’s massive for our club and for our league. But we need to forget the fuss and focus on the game.”
There’s little rest for the Invermen, who arrived back at Belfast International just after midnight on a specially chartered flight from Molde. Lynch’s men resume their defence of the Gibson Cup on Sunday when in form Dungannon Swifts visit Inver Park.
Lynch said: “Sunday is going to be very different. I’m sure Dungannon are thinking this is the perfect time to play Larne because of all the razzmatazz that went with the European game. There’s a danger it’s after the Lord Mayor’s Show.
“We need to be focused. We need to be mentally strong and do what we do best.”
Lynch was also keen to praise the 120 Larne fans that made the journey to northern Norway to cheer on their beloved club.
He said: “They were fantastic, they always are. They were loud and proud throughout. They see our effort and our commitment and they appreciate that.”