Larne 'fully prepared' for title decider - Haveron

TL;DR

Larne is set to compete for their third Irish Premiership title in four years against Dungannon Swifts. Manager Gary Haveron emphasizes that his team is 'fully prepared' for the crucial match.

Key points

Larne is competing for their third title in four years
They face Dungannon Swifts in a crucial match
Manager Gary Haveron states the team is fully prepared
Larne needs to avoid defeat to secure the title
The title outcome depends on other match results if Larne loses

LarneDungannon SwiftsIrish Premiership

A third Irish Premiership crown in four years is within touching distance for Larne and manager Gary Haveron insists his players will be "fully prepared" for Saturday's title decider against Dungannon Swifts.

Larne head into the game as masters of their own destiny, needing just to avoid defeat by the Irish Cup finalists to regain the Gibson Cup.

Should they lose and there is a decisive result between Coleraine and Glentoran, then the winner of that game at the Showgrounds will finish top on goal difference.

However, Larne sit in pole position, the destination of the title "in our own hands" according to Haveron who insists his players will approach this game like any other.

"At the start of the season, this is what you want going into the last one [game]," Haveron told BBC Sport NI.

"Everyone sets out with the same idea to win the Gibson Cup, but to be so close and have one hand on it is massive. It's in our own hands so we know if we get a result on Saturday, nobody can take it away from us.

"We know how big a game it is and we'll be fully prepared for it."

'It's the stuff of fairy tales at Larne'

While the Larne native celebrated league title glory in 2023 and 2024 as part of Tiernan Lynch's backroom team, it will feel a little different this time should they finish the job.

Nathan Rooney's shock departure in August saw Haveron initially fill in as interim boss before being made permanent in October.

Such upheaval can put a dent in a season, but with Haveron part of the Larne fabric since initially linking up with the club as academy director in 2019, it proved "an easier transition".

It has not been the only major change at Larne this season, with Redball Global FC, led by Nick Giannotti and Eric Perez, purchasing Kenny Bruce's 50% stake in the club.

"They just told me to get as many good results as I could and that's been my remit," Haveron said of his conversations with the pair.

"They may not be here on a day-to-day basis, but their presence is always felt as they are only ever a phone call away and have given us the opportunity to build on what we've done before.

"I heard it all at the start of the year: Larne weren't going to finish in the top four and the bubble has burst with Kenny moving on, but he secured a future for the club by bringing in Nick and Eric.

"While other clubs have spent money, we managed to cut budgets to make us more sustainable and that's something we are proud of as our quality didn't dip on the pitch."

Q&A

What does Larne need to do to win the Irish Premiership title?

Larne needs to avoid defeat against Dungannon Swifts to secure the title.

Who is Larne's manager and what is his stance on the upcoming match?

Larne's manager is Gary Haveron, who insists that his players will be 'fully prepared' for the title decider.

What are the implications if Larne loses the title decider?

If Larne loses, the outcome of the Coleraine vs. Glentoran match could determine the title winner based on goal difference.

How many Irish Premiership titles has Larne won in the last four years?

Larne has the opportunity to win their third Irish Premiership title in four years.