‘Surprise package’ Loughgall will have the full respect of champions Larne, insists Gary Haveron

Gary Haveron says Loughgall cannot be underestimated

Loughgall have made a fine start to the season after being promoted from the Championship

Paul O'Neill has been among the goals for Larne

First team coach Gary Haveron insists Larne must be on their guard against ‘surprise package’ Loughgall in Tuesday night’s encounter at Lakeview Park.

The champions travel to Co Armagh having hit their stride recently, with four victories in a row that have lifted them up to second place in the table — but it’s the Villagers’ form and lofty position of seventh which has caught the eye of many.

Last year’s Championship winners have proved many of the early season doubters wrong and Haveron knows it will make for a tough challenge tonight.

“They’ve been the surprise package in the League this year,” he said.

“You often see in England a team coming up from the Championship and excelling and maybe producing a top half finish.

“Loughgall are the team who have come up from the League below and are doing very well indeed.

“They’re very difficult on their own patch and we know they’ve made the pitch a bit bigger but it’s still a fairly tight pitch.

“So we know it’s a tough ask and we have to go down there and we must be at our best.”

Larne’s current front pairing of Paul O’Neill and Andy Ryan have bagged six goals between them in back-to-back home victories over Linfield and Carrick Rangers.

With Lee Bonis likely to return from illness and on-loan striker Ilijah Paul having received clearance for his loan move from Real Salt Lake, Haveron believes the firepower at boss Tiernan Lynch’s disposal is as good as any in the Premiership.

“They win games, that’s what they do,” he added.

“When they’re on it, there aren’t a better set of strikers in