An absorbing title race will get a fitting conclusion in the final round of Sports Direct Premiership action
Larne boss Gary Haveron has hammered home the message that ‘nothing is won yet’ ahead of attempting to claim their third Premiership title in four years on Saturday night.
An absorbing title race will get a fitting conclusion in the final round of Sports Direct Premiership action – with the top three all in with a shout of lifting the Gibson Cup.
Larne lead the way by three points ahead of Coleraine and Glentoran – two sides who will meet at the Showgrounds.
A point or more for Haveron’s men against Dungannon Swifts will see them reach the finish line in the race for the title.
However, should Rodney McAree’s men claim their second win of the season against Larne then the door will be open for a winner a the Coleraine Showgrounds to nip in and take the prize on Goal Difference.
Many pundits will have Larne as strong favourites going into the final weekend, boss Haveron is keeping everyone’s feet on the ground.
“This is not a foregone conclusion,” he insisted. “They’re a fantastic side and Rodney McAree has them so well organised and so well drilled.
“They have some very good players, and we know we’re going to have be at our best to get what we need to out of this game.
“There is nothing won, nothing has been achieved.
“Glentoran was just the next game and once that was taken care of we have taken the same approach with this Dungannon test.
“We have worked hard all week to prepare, we have tried to fresh the players up the best we can after what has been a long and demanding season for everyone.
“It has also given us the chance to get another week’s training into the legs of the likes of Leroy Millar, Dylan Sloan and Mark Randall who are all coming back from injury.”
The Invermen’s title bid was significantly boosted by last week’s 0-0 stalemate away to Glentoran.
It kept Larne’s noses in front and prevented Declan Devine’s men from going into the final day in pole position.
Haveron believes it was the latest in a string of performances which has shown great character from his side this season.
“We had to show our resilience and willingness to dig in and put our bodies on the line in that game,” he added.
“We knew how difficult it is to come to the Oval. They have strengthened considerably in January, but we had to go there and show character and we’re about as a club and a group of people.
“To a man we stood up to the challenge which came our way and we got what we deserved on the night.”
That game also saw Larne claim a 20th clean sheet in their 37 games to date.
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It is a statistic which underlines the solid foundation their season has been built on as they have led the way at the top since November. A trait which was also evident in previous title-winning seasons at Inver.
“I make no bones about it, I pride myself on clean sheets,” the former Carrick and Glentoran boss said.
“That’s what I feel I help to bring to the club, is that sense of stability and shape to the team.
“I feel I’ve contributed to that a little bit over my time at the club.
“In a lot of those 20 clean sheets we didn’t give up too many chances to the opposition.
“That takes a whole team to make it happen, not just a goalkeeper and back five and we’ve had that from our team throughout the season.”
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