UEFA Conference League: Larne not interested in numbers game says Rohan Ferguson
Larne may be breaking new ground for the Irish League as they kick-off their UEFA Conference League group stage against Molde tomorrow night but Rohan Ferguson insists they aren't here just to make up the numbers.
The Invermen created history when they became the first club from Northern Ireland to reach the group stages of a major European competition.
But rather than just bask in their success goalkeeper Ferguson has sent out a defiant message to their opponents.
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"Make no mistake we're not here to make up the numbers," said the former Motherwell man. "We've got here on merit with how well we've done.
"Obviously Molde will be a hard team to play against but we'll try and put our stamp on it too. We're not going to go there and just put 11 men behind the ball, we're going to try and have a go as well.
“It definitely is one of the biggest games in my career and getting there is an unbelievable achievement for everyone. These are big occasions we just want to enjoy and perform well in.
“This competition is massive for clubs like Larne. It has given clubs from smaller countries the chance to play in the group stages, who might not have got the chance otherwise.
“But it’s not a competition for minnows as Chelsea and Real Betis are in it. Those teams could be in the Champions League.
“I don’t think there is a massive difference in standard between the Europa League and the Conference League, this cup just gives some smaller teams a better opportunity.”
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Larne suffered a slow start to their delayed domestic campaign but with recent wins over Linfield, Glentoran and Cliftonville in the bag Ferguson feels they are getting back to their best again.
"We suffered a couple of disappointing results losing against Ballymena and drawing at Glenavon but since then we've gone and beat Linfield and Cliftonville away and beat the Glens at home," he said. "That's three of the top teams in the league.
"It's understandable we had a slow start as we had a lot of games to catch up on. I think people just looked at the table and saw us 12 or 13 points off the top.
"But we've made up a lot of ground in the last couple of weeks and still have two games in hand so hopefully we can catch up.
"Personally speaking, the busy schedule has been okay for myself. I know the boys cover more distance than I do so maybe it's harder for them, but, no, the games are coming thick and fast but that's why you play football, to play games and we're taking it in our stride."
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