IRISH CUP: Larne set for fourth-round clash with Limavady

“We are disappointed that the game is off as we were hoping to carry on with the performance levels we showed against Ballymena,” he said.

“On the other hand, it is difficult to get over 120 minutes as happened when we played Institute after the Portadown game. It obviously gives us more recovery time and probably allow us a few more bodies back, fingers crossed, for Saturday’s rescheduled game.

“Scott Irvine and Eoin Gillan are training flat-out and but Thomas Robinson is hopefully only a week away. But Paul Maguire and Darren Stuart are more long-term, as is Stuart Scott who has just got his MRI results so we are waiting on the outcome of that.”

McAlinden is now left with the task of preparing his players for the Limavady match all over again.

The game pits Larne’s 32-year-old boss against his former CarrickRangers team-mate Paul Owens, who is now in charge at the north west club.

“Everyone loves the Irish Cup and getting into the fifth round is a big thing for all the players,” added McAlinden.

The carrot dangling in front Larne is a 120-mile round-trip journey to Loughgall on Saturday, January 9.

Despite the lack of action on the pitch, a function for Larne’s 1987 Ulster Cup winning side went ahead as planned.

The rescheduling of this weekend’s Irish Cup match means the Intermediate Cup tie with East Belfast will now take place on Saturday, December 19.