Larne’s Haveron vows to embrace Tbilisi test as European hopes hang

Under the floodlights of Inver Park on Thursday night, Larne held Georgian side FC Iberia 1999 to a goalless draw, setting up a decisive Europa League third‑qualifying second leg in Tbilisi. The stalemate leaves the tie perfectly balanced as both teams seek a breakthrough.

The first‑leg stalemate at home left the tie perfectly balanced, with neither side breaking the deadlock. Larne entered the encounter as Irish Premiership champions, a status that adds pressure to deliver in Europe.

Manager Gary Haveron insists his squad will embrace the challenge and chase a positive result next week. He declared that the side will “embrace the challenge” of trying to come away from Tbilisi with a positive result in the second leg.

Speaking to NI, Haveron said, “I can’t wait for the game to come. We’re going into their back yard and if we’re going to do it we’re going to have to do it the hard way.” His comments underline the hostile environment expected in Georgia.

Haveron praised his players for generating the better scoring opportunities in the first match. He noted, “I thought in the first half we were excellent. We probably created all the clear‑cut chances in the game.”

The manager added that the side will “kick ourselves” for not converting those chances into a win. He expressed disappointment that clear opportunities should have produced a result.

Haveron pointed to periods of dominance, stating that despite the opponent’s quality, Larne were “very, very good.” He said, “The dominance we had for periods. Obviously they are a very good side but I thought we were very, very good.”

He observed that the second half began brightly but the team “maybe lost our way a little midway through the second half.” Nevertheless, he maintained that “the boys were excellent from start to finish.”

Concluding, Haveron said the performance provides a great deal of confidence, even though the only disappointment is not securing a win. He affirmed, “We take a great deal of confidence from this performance, the only disappointment is that we haven’t come away with a win.”