Larne manager Tiernan Lynch dismisses title talk despite three-point lead at Premiership summit

​The Inver Park outfit took the lead through a superb Leroy Millar strike from distance in the 32nd minute, which was just reward for the hosts who controlled the entirety of the first half.

Things got worse for Cliftonville when Jamie McDonagh was shown a second yellow card for diving in the Larne box just before the hour mark and not long later the impressive Andy Ryan doubled Larne’s lead after having the ball put on a plate for him by strike partner Lee Bonis.

Lynch’s men had to withstand a nervy final 10 minutes as Reds captain Jonathan Addis converted from a Ronan Hale free kick to give the visitors a sniff of nicking something from the game – a scenario that didn’t look likely for most of the afternoon.

Larne held on to grab a statement win in their pursuit of a first top-flight league title, but Lynch wasn’t getting carried away.

"People will write what they want but it's only three points for us,” he said. "I don't shy away - we want to be there and be in and around it.

"Over the last four or five years we have tried to build teams and put our club in the situation where it should comfortably sit at the top table.

"All we can keep doing is what we're doing and ultimately if it's good enough it will be and if it's not we will learn from it.”

In a game packed full of quality, Millar stood head and shoulders above the rest, grabbing the valuable opener and also played a role in Ryan’s match-winning contribution.

It was clear that Cliftonville had devised a plan to try and stop the 27-year-old – with Odhran Casey following him wherever he went.

But it’s testament to Millar’s quality that he was still able to find a way of putting his stamp all over proceedings.

The summer signing from Ballymena United now has 10 league goals for the season and Lynch believes he’s adding a crucial piece to his game.

"I'd watched Leroy over the years at Ballymena and for his strength, power, size and ability to get into the box, he didn't score enough goals and that is one of the things we've tried to work on with Leroy,” he added. "To be a top midfielder in the Irish League, which he definitely is, you need to add goals to your game and he is now doing that.

"He started off the season on fire and hopefully he is finding his shooting boots again."

LARNE: Ferguson, Want (Watson, 88), Sule, Bonis, Donnelly, Bolger, Thomson (Gordon, 72), Millar, Glynn (Kelly, 72), Cosgrove, Ryan (O’Neill, 88).

Subs (not used): Pardington, Kearns, Maguire.

CLIFTONVILLE: Gartside, Addis, Gallagher, Parkhouse (C.Curran, 81), McDonagh, Lowe, Doherty, Casey (Gormley, 62), Rn.Hale, Coates (Turner, 81), Moore (Traynor, 25).

Subs (not used): Doherty, R.Curran, Robinson.

REFEREE: Raymond Crangle.