Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley admitted Larne must adopt a siege mentality if they are to make an impact on the European circuit.
Bradley couldn’t hide his delight following his team’s exhilarating 4-1 UEFA Conference League win at Windsor Park on Thursday night and celebrated on the pitch at the end.
Having already drawn with APOEL at the Tallaght Stadium, Rovers now have games against TNS, Rapid Vienna, Borac Banja Luka and Chelsea coming up and Bradley is confident his boys can finish in the top eight of this new tournament.
More worryingly for Larne boss Tiernan Lynch is the fact that Bradley admitted at no time did he feel his team was under any kind of pressure on Thursday night.
“I was never worried at any stage and I don’t mean that in any sort of arrogant or disrespectful way to Larne,” he said. “I know where these players are, you get a feel for it in the dressing room.
“I’ve had that feeling for the last few weeks, they come alive at this time. When you put them on a pitch like Windsor in a big stadium, they just go about their business.
“There was never any moment in the game, even after Larne scored, that I was worried. The players were rally calm and they just got back into their stride. That comes with experience and understanding.
“I know Larne changed formation recently. They went with the four at the back, but I felt we could really hurt them if they pressed us. We exploited the spaces really well – we picked off Larne.”
Bradley insists his boys are now mentally and physically prepared for the rigors of European football.
“Mentally, it’s tough,” he went on. “We were used to one game a week, sometimes Friday or Monday. There were no planes, buses or travel commitments.
“We felt it was a real stumbling block the first time we did this. Yes, there was stuff on the pitch that we needed to improve on, but off it we really needed to improve the psychology side of things, be more robust mentally.
“The players, regardless of where we play, they are just ready go to. That takes time, you just can’t switch that off and on and it’s something Larne must learn from.
“As a group, we work hard to this day of being more robust and mentally strong.”
Bradley believes his boys can now make an impact on the tournament.
“I originally set a target of seven points. If we can get ten, let’s do it,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why not. We’ve got ourselves into a position to qualify – let’s try to do it.
“We want to qualifying for the next phase. We’ve given ourselves a chance.”
On his celebratory antics at the finish when he led the celebrations among the fans, Bradley went on: “It was a special night at Windsor Park, champions against champions.
“This team comes to life at this stage of the season… in the business end, the team just comes alive.
“Some teams shrink, some don’t like the pressure. These boys relish it.
“They stick out their chest and they perform. They have done that for the last five years in the second part of the season.
“It was a special moment (at the finish), the players deserve all the credit. I’ve been suspended for the last couple of games, so it was a moment I wanted to enjoy.
“Our fans were fantastic. We’ve been to some incredible low places and also some high places. Thursday was certainly a high one. I had my kids and family in the crowd, so it was special.
“It was a thank you to the fans. This is why we put in the hard work, a special night at Windsor. The performance was really high level. We scored four goals, it could have been more.
“So you must enjoy it. If you don’t, what are you in the game for? European games are different. There is always a different buzz, energy and tension.”