Jamie Mulgrew: Linfield will hit back next season after losing title… we have mentality to do that

Heading into the final Sports Direct Premiership weekend of the 2023/24 season, it’s champions Larne who are gearing up for another championship party at Inver Park.

Tiernan Lynch’s side effectively won the title on Monday when they held the Blues to a 1-1 draw at Windsor Park.

With a three-point advantage and superior goal difference of 17, the Invermen can look forward to hoisting aloft the Gibson Cup on Saturday evening after their clash with Coleraine at Inver Park.

Linfield, who face Cliftonville in a low-key Irish Cup Final dress rehearsal at Windsor Park, are still reflecting on where it went wrong.

The Blues enhanced their game with a better points tally in the 2023/24 season, but Larne have also risen to the challenge.

For the BetMcLean Cup winners, Irish Cup success would be a perfect pick-up after a League title charge that came up a little short.

Skipper Mulgrew will be denied an 11th League winners’ medal, but he feels his side only have themselves to blame for finishing behind the champions.

There has been a major focus on the late equaliser conceded against Coleraine at the same time that Larne grabbed an injury-time winner at Glentoran, and that’s understandable as it was the moment that Linfield’s title destiny was taken out of their hands.

But David Healy’s side stumbled along the way on other occasions, and those dropped points came back to haunt them.

While chasing down formidable opponents, Linfield couldn’t afford many slip-ups, but Mulgrew admitted his side made life much harder for themselves earlier in the 2023/24 campaign.

“I will be honest and say we shot ourselves in the foot with a few results we should have got,” said the experienced midfielder.

“The two that stick in my mind are Glenavon away (2-2) and Dungannon Swifts (2-1) at home.

“That’s five points, which is massive. You can go back to last Tuesday, which was very frustrating, and again, it shouldn’t have happened, but those results in our sticky patch hurt us and cost us. The table doesn’t lie, Larne finished top, and those dropped points saw us lose our grip on the title.

“Do we have the mindset and mentality to come back? Yes, we certainly do – I genuinely believe that, and it will be an interesting summer for all the teams, as there has been investment around the League.

“I would imagine the challenge will be even tougher, not just for ourselves but for Larne as well with the money that is coming into the League. We have to embrace the challenge and look forward to it; if you can’t, then you shouldn’t be here.”

Mulgrew signed a one-year contract extension in January 2024, and after almost 20 years at Linfield, his appetite for success hasn’t diminished one bit.

The 37-year-old, who left the Larne game early with a hamstring injury, is now switching his thoughts to the Irish Cup Final. The man who joined the Blues from archrivals Glentoran in 2005 would love to lift that glittering prize for an eighth time.

He’s well aware this could be his last Irish Cup decider and, if it is, a first Reds v Blues Final in 90 years would be a nice way to bow out.

“In my situation, it could be my last Irish Cup Final, it can feel that way – hopefully not. There’s no point in shying away from that; it could be,” added Mulgrew.

“That’s what we are paid to do. We are expected to be involved in major Finals and fighting for major trophies.

“I suppose we have done that this year. Yes, we did fail in the League, but we have an opportunity to finish the season on a high and give us belief moving into next season.

“If we win the Irish Cup, who knows where it can take us.”