Haveron 'proud' of Larne efforts in Red Star defeat
Larne manager Gary Haveron expressed pride in his team's performance despite a 4-0 loss to Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League qualifiers. He acknowledged the significant gap in quality between the two sides while looking ahead to potential success in other European competitions.
Why it matters
The match highlights the competitive disparity between smaller clubs and established European giants in the Champions League structure.
Image source, Pacemaker Image caption, Haveron accepts the Champions League is a "step too far" for his team
Larne manager Gary Haveron said he was "proud" of his players' efforts in their 4-0 home defeat by Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League second qualifying round, first leg.
The Inver Reds trailed at the break after Bruno Duarte converted from the spot, but the Serbian club would add another three in the second period as Duarte grabbed a second, while Vasilije Kostov and Muhammed Cham found the net to all but finish the tie off.
Haveron felt his team can take a lot from the experience but accepts they were up against a "different level" of opposition.
"I'm extremely proud," Haveron told BBC Sport NI.
"For long stages in the first half we frustrated them and were probably a bit disappointed to come in one down given the soft penalty.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in