Tiernan Lynch offers honest assessment to St Gallen defeat as Larne are down but not out

Tiernan Lynch believes Larne's performance against St Gallen proves they are "getting closer" on the European stage.

The Invermen pushed Swiss side St Gallen all the way after taking a fourth minute lead at Windsor Park. The visitors levelled matters in the first half but despite dominating possession after the break they failed to really hurt their hosts.

But as we headed towards the final 10 minutes the visitors caught Lynch's men on the break and punished them as Hugo Vandermersch fired home the winner. It was a tough one for Larne to take but Lynch was pleased with the performance.

READ MORE:Larne vs St Gallen: Rohan Ferguson in 'privileged' position as he gives European verdict

READ MORE:Larne vs St Gallen: Tiernan Lynch offers brutally honest verdict on side's current status

"We will take confidence from that,” he said. “It’s only our third game in the group stages and I hope we’re getting closer. I think that’s what we have to hope for and strive for...that we’re getting that bit closer.

"It definitely did feel like we’re getting closer tonight. There’s no doubt that St Gallen are a top side – we knew that coming into the game – but we felt comfortable out of possession tonight and I don’t think they overly hurt us.

"I’ll have to watch the game back, but it didn’t feel like we were holding on or I was biting my fingernails, I thought we were comfortable and dealt with the set-pieces well. We could have been a bit more clinical, but it’s pleasing.

"We let ourselves down against Shamrock Rovers and it wasn’t a true reflection of us as a team or league. Our job tonight was to put that right and show there’s more about us and I feel we did that.

"The other side is we are hugely disappointed we couldn’t hold on and there were moments leading up to their second goal where we could and should have done better. It’s a learning curve for us and hopefully it will stand by us.”

Join Belfast Live’s new Irish League WhatsApp group. Click this link to receive the latest Irish League headlines and breaking news direct to your phone. We also treat our members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our group, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice