EIGHT Days A Week was a positive message from The Beatles – eight games a month is a much more mixed blessing for Larne.
It’s seven up for the back-to-back Irish League champions this Tuesday night when they host Loughgall, with one more match away to Cliftonville on Friday evening before we get into October.
The same again then next month, starting with the strange away double on Tuesday then Thursday of next week – the Welders in the League Cup, then Molde in the Europa Conference League.
There won’t be much sympathy for Larne manager Tiernan Lynch and his men, of course, especially not from their next opponents.
This may be a contest between 10th and 11th in the table, but that’s a false position for Larne, who have only played five matches because of postponements due to their ongoing European adventure.
While Larne are going up in the world, and surely climbing the table, Loughgall will just be worried about staying up.
Whether it’s ‘difficult second season syndrome’ for Loughgall remains to be seen. The Mid Ulster side impressed in the last campaign on their return to the top flight, comfortably staying clear of any relegation threat.
So far, not so good, this time around.
The opening day win – over fellow strugglers Carrick – has been followed by five defeats and two draws for Dean Smith’s side. Loughgall have scored just once in their last three outings, while conceding nine.
Larne only started with a draw, against Coleraine, then suffered a surprise home loss to Ballymena, but seem to have clicked into gear since then, with wins over the old ‘Big Two’ of Linfield and Glentoran either side of a draw at Glenavon.
The question is how much strain their European commitments will put on the Inver Park squad, with Lynch’s task to balance out the need for positive results with the demands on his players.
Anything other than a home win would be a surprise, but this an Irish League season like no other, especially for Larne, so Loughgall will travel in hope.