THE managers are trying to play it down but there can be little doubt about the magnitude of the Sports Direct Premiership clash between Linfield and Larne at Windsor Park on Saturday (3pm).
Tiernan Lynch’s side have beaten Linfield to the title over the last two years and David Healy is utterly determined to wrest the Gibson Cup from Larne’s grasp this season.
The Invermen have been focused on Europe, making history by becoming the first Irish League side to make the group stages of European competition.
NIFL and rival clubs agreed to postpone four league games to assist Larne with their efforts on the Continent and the Blues capitalised by winning four and drawing one of their opening five games.
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To make matters more difficult for the reigning Champions, they have only taken a point from two games to date, drawing with Coleraine and losing to Ballymena United last weekend.
We’ve been here before as last season Larne made a sluggish start and Linfield quickly amassed an eight point lead going into their November 11 encounter at Windsor last year.
Had Linfield won they would have been eleven points clear but Larne won the game 2-1 to set up a successful defence of their crown.
It wasn’t the only time the Blues had a chance to put one hand on the league trophy but Healy insists there are no mental scars from that telling 2-1 defeat.
“Absolutely not”, said the former Northern Ireland striker.
“I think in and around that time, the league table was misleading for some who don’t really understand the football industry fully.
“I think it was to go eleven points clear potentially. Larne still had two games in hand at the time, on paper we could have gone eleven points clear but Larne would still have had those two games in hand.
“They were so good last year that they still had potential to make up six or nine points on you, so I think it was a little bit misleading.
“I think the opportunity we missed out on last year was the opportunity to put us further ahead at the time.
“Even in the second game after the split last year, we played Coleraine at home, we were beating them, Glentoran were drawing with Larne at the same time and in the 94th minute Coleraine equalised against us and Larne scored the winner at The Oval.
“That was a turnaround of four or five points in ninety seconds, and that would have put us top of the league with three games to go and yet to play Larne at home.
“There are going to be twists and turns, along the way, that’s generally been the way it has worked out over the last few seasons.
“This will be our sixth game and Larne’s third so it’s an opportunity for us to...I wouldn’t say extend our lead but maybe to keep Larne further away than they would certainly like, so that’s the way we’re looking at it on Saturday.
“Of course, everybody wants to be in and around the top, they want to be top, they want to be clear but the competitive nature of the league – certainly in the opening weeks of the season – isn’t going to allow anyone to gain an unassailable lead throughout the season.
“So there are going to be twists and turns along the way, we are not getting carried away.
“We do have, I believe, enough experience in the dressing room at the minute, enough trust in the dressing room between myself and the players, and hopefully myself, the players and the staff are capable of putting in a sustained challenge this year.”
