OPINION: Larne's second Irish League triumph is even more impressive than history-making first

Well, in Larne’s case, they’ve proven that they’re more than capable of handling the pressure – and delivering – in both scenarios, with this latest evolution of Tiernan Lynch’s ruthless team possessing all the qualities of one that could dominate the Premiership for years to come.

This latest run to the title, which was effectively sealed against nearest challengers Linfield at Windsor Park last night, is arguably more impressive than last season’s slice of history (won for a first time in the club’s 134-year existence) given they’ve been pushed harder than ever before.

Going back to the fighting analogy, Larne have had to take their blows at certain points throughout the campaign – they trailed the Blues by eight points at one stage in November and only won six of their opening 12 league matches – but climbed off the canvas to recompose themselves and put together a season-defining unbeaten streak of 24 between late-September and early-April.

With Linfield racking up 84 points – their highest total since lifting the Gibson Cup in 2018/19 and a tally good enough to win five of the last nine league titles – Larne have had to take their game to another level and duly did so. Comparing this term to last season, they’ve won more matches, lost fewer, conceded fewer goals so far than the 22 of 2022/23 and, perhaps most importantly of all, the Inver Reds have already scored 16 more goals.

While engaged in discussions about the league’s best player, a mantle left behind by Conor McMenamin after leaving Glentoran for St Mirren last summer, my answer has always tended to be Andy Ryan. A striker who has everything and proven to be the difference in this title race.

In 45 league appearances since joining Larne from Hamilton in January 2023, the Scottish supremo has scored 31 times, including 24 this term to comfortably claim the top-flight’s Golden Boot. He might just be the most impactful signing made by an Irish League club in recent years.

His partnership with Lee Bonis, who has netted 17 goals himself, is incredible and the only thing likely to stop that combination wreaking havoc on Premiership defences for years to come is if Bonis gets what would be a deserved move across the water this summer.

Another statistic worth noting along this run is Larne’s record against top-three rivals Linfield and Cliftonville: they’ve gone unbeaten in eight league matches against the pair – performing in high-pressure environments has become second nature.

The next challenge for Lynch’s men is to transfer this league dominance into cup competitions as they look to further cement their status as one of the great teams. They’ve been knocked out at the semi-final stage of the Irish Cup on two consecutive occasions and undoubtedly last month’s defeat to the Reds will still leave a ‘what if’ feeling.

Now Larne will march into Europe for a fourth straight season aiming to become the first Irish League side to qualify for the group stages and with their squad stacked full of quality and Inver Park turned into a fortress, who would back against them achieving it? Standing on top of one mountain, that’s the next peak they’ll be looking to ascend.