Larne boss Tiernan Lynch ready to embrace Shamrock Rovers challenge

Larne boss Tiernan Lynch is confident his side can embrace the challenge of taking on Shamrock Rovers in their opening home Europa Conference League tie at Windsor Park.

The Antrim team are the first Irish League club to make the group stage of a major European tournament.

After their debut ended with a 3-0 defeat away to Molde in Norway, Lynch's side will host League of Ireland Premier Division outfit Shamrock Rovers in Belfast, rather than at their Inver Park home, which has a capacity of just under 2,600.

There has been plenty of interest around Larne in the build-up to Thursday night’s game, with both Northern Irish former boxer Carl Frampton and ex-Manchester United defender Patrice Evra paying the squad a visit.

Lynch feels the extra exposure can only help raise Larne’s profile as they look to punch above their weight on the European stage.

"The Europa Conference League is something we are enjoying and embracing," Lynch said.

"We want to go out once again and give a really good account of ourselves and the league."

Shamrock Rovers began their Conference League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Cypriot team APOEL after Dylan Watts scored a stoppage-time equaliser.

"We have watched a lot of Rovers and keep an eye on the League of Ireland generally," Lynch said at a press conference.

"We know how good they are and that tomorrow night is going to be a huge challenge, which we will embrace and enjoy."

Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow the RTÉ Sport WhatsApp channel for the best news, interviews, analysis and features, as well as details of our sports coverage across all RTÉ platforms.