Larne manager Nathan Rooney insists his side can still progress in the UEFA Europa Conference League despite a frustrating 0-0 draw against FK Auda at the Ballymena Showgrounds.
Reflecting on his first European match in charge, Rooney admitted his team lacked some conviction but praised their overall performance.
“I saw a few levels to our game,” said Rooney. “We had five or six chances where we could have done better. The boys did well but we didn’t play with huge belief we could turn them over. Physically we were excellent, they are a bit sharper in terms of games played but I didn’t think that was evident tonight. I just think with more belief we can perform better next week.”
While Rohan Ferguson made a crucial save to keep Larne level, Rooney, echoing the sentiments of his predecessor after Larne’s last year’s bout with RFS, noted that Auda’s organisation and experience (despite major recent and ongoing changes to the squad) made the contest tight.
“If we were starting off at the same level it might have been a different story,” he added. “You can see they have kept their squad together for a long period. That is ingrained in them. There weren’t many clear-cut chances. Rohan pulled off a great save and there were too many set plays in the game. We gave up too many fouls which allowed them to slow the game.”
Despite the stalemate, Rooney believes Larne now have a clearer idea of what awaits them in Latvia next week.
“I’m happy with the outcome but we must go one step further,” he said. “We will look at the game back and I want to be consistent with this team, not changing too much. I felt we were solid and have a lot of good attacking players. You have video footage and knowledge but now we have played them we know what they are about.”
The tie remains delicately poised as Larne prepare to travel to Riga for Wednesday’s decisive second leg.
Source: https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/european/larne-boss-nathan-rooney-quietly-confident-of-euro-progression-despite-scoreless-draw-with-auda/a1290081431.html
