Keith O’Hara, assistant manager of Larne, praised the “great strength and determination” displayed by the Inver Reds during their 2-1 Boxing Day victory over Carrick Rangers at Taylors Avenue.
The home team took the lead shortly after halftime, with Paul Heatley scoring from a pass by BJ Burns.
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However, in the last ten minutes, Tiarnan O’Connor and Paul O’Neill found the net, securing the Inver Reds’ unbeaten streak, which now stands at 11 matches.
“It’s a tough venue to play at,” O’Hara remarked in an interview with BBC Sport NI. “To go a goal down and then score two late goals for the win is a great feeling.”
“We’ve dealt with some illnesses and minor injuries, which makes the performance of the players who stepped up even more commendable.”
On the other hand, Carrick Rangers find themselves winless in their last seven league outings, with manager Stephen Baxter expressing his disappointment at not securing any points from the derby match.
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“We scored a fantastic goal, with BJ Burns setting up Paul Heatley for a superb finish,” Baxter noted. “There’s a bit of frustration here today because we played very well.”
“Larne will definitely be contenders for the league title this year, and I believe we matched, if not outperformed them today.”