Who are Lincoln Red Imps, the side standing between Larne and history?

Uefa Conference League play-off first leg: Lincoln Red Imps v Larne

Date: Thursday, 22 August Venue: Estadio Algarve, Faro Kick-off: 20:00 BST

Coverage: Live matter updates, study and guidance connected BBC Sport website and app.

Disappointment has reigned for Irish Premiership clubs successful Europe this summer, pinch Linfield, Crusaders and Cliftonville each falling astatine their respective first hurdles, but Larne person nan chance to break caller crushed complete nan adjacent week.

The back-to-back Irish Premiership champions are successful Uefa Conference League play-off action against Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar.

Win nan necktie and Larne will go nan first Irish League squad to scope nan first information due of a awesome European competition.

The Invermen's continental odyssey began successful dispiriting manner past period pinch a 7-0 aggregate conclusion to Latvia's RFS successful nan Champions League first qualifying round.

But having breathed caller life into their run by beating Kosovon broadside Ballkani successful nan 3rd information of nan Conference League qualifiers, they are 180 minutes distant from perchance blazing a way for Irish League sides successful Europe.

Ahead of Thursday's opening limb astatine Estadio Algarve successful Faro, Portugal, nan Imps' 'home' crushed for this tie, BBC Sport NI takes a person look astatine nan situation facing Larne.

As 27-times champions of nan Gibraltar Football League, Lincoln Red Imps are stalwarts successful nan qualifying rounds of Uefa's nine competitions.

While classed arsenic a full-time master team, respective of their players person jobs extracurricular of football, ranging from customs officers to policemen.

They are astir celebrated for beating Celtic successful nan 2016 Champions League qualifiers. In what was Brendan Rodgers' first crippled arsenic Celtic boss, a Lee Casciaro extremity was capable to springiness nan Gibraltarians a celebrated 1-0 win.

Celtic, of course, rebounded to triumph nan 2nd limb 3-0 astatine Parkhead, but nan scoreline from nan first limb unquestionably put nan Red Imps connected nan map.

Their brushwood pinch Celtic's Old Firm rivals Rangers wasn't arsenic memorable, however, arsenic they mislaid 5-0 successful 2020-21 Europa League qualifying.

This season, Lincoln hit Maltese broadside Hamrun Spartans successful nan Champions League first qualifying information earlier being comprehensively beaten 7-0 connected aggregate by Azerbaijani broadside Qarabag.

Their nonaccomplishment to flooded Dinamo Minsk successful nan Europa League 3rd qualifying information saw them driblet into nan Conference League play-offs.

While Celtic stay their astir high-profile scalp, their astir notable accomplishment was reaching nan group shape of nan inaugural Conference League successful 2021.

Having seen disconnected Riga successful nan play-off round, they became nan first nine from Gibraltar to scope nan group stages successful European nine competition.

They recovered nan going reliable successful Group F, losing each six of their games to Copenhagen, PAOK and Slovan Bratislava and ending pinch a -15 extremity difference, but it was still a monumental accomplishment for nan club.

They were incapable to forge nan aforesaid way successful their adjacent 2 attempts. Last season, they were knocked retired of nan Conference League 3rd qualifying information by Ballkani, who Larne hit to scope this tie, aft falling to Kazakh broadside Tobol successful 2022.

While Larne's convention games person been postponed to thief them hole for nan tie, nan Red Imps played connected Sunday, losing nan Pepe Reyes Cup - nan curtain-raiser for nan 2024-25 Gibraltar home play - connected penalties to St Joseph's aft a 1-1 draw.

Notably, Red Imps leader Javi Munoz rested respective players for that crippled pinch Thursday's brushwood successful mind.

Larne are acquainted pinch St Joseph's too, of course, having mislaid 1-0 connected aggregate to them successful nan 2022 Conference League qualifiers.

Their squad, which trains 4 times a week, boasts an absorbing operation of younker and experience.

Their much seasoned campaigners see nan aforementioned Casciaro who, successful summation to scoring against Celtic, netted nan Gibraltar nationalist team's first ever extremity erstwhile they faced Scotland astatine Hampden Park successful March 2015, six months aft their first competitory lucifer aft being accepted arsenic a afloat Uefa personnel successful 2013.

Now 42, Casciaro started past week's 2-1 triumph complete Dinamo Minsk successful nan Europa League qualifiers (the Red Imps mislaid 3-2 connected aggregate).

Like Casciaro, Gibraltar skipper Roy Chipolina played successful that triumph complete Celtic successful 2016 and is still successful nan squad astatine 41, while Spanish midfielder Nano is 39.

There is besides a Premier League relationship successful nan squad. Ibrahim Ayew, who is expected to statement retired astatine right-back, is nan older half-brother of Crystal Palace guardant Jordan Ayew and Le Havre's Andre Ayew, antecedently of Swansea, West Ham and Nottingham Forest.

Like Jordan and Andrew, Ibrahim has been capped by Ghana and while he was portion of their 2010 World Cup squad, he did not characteristic successful nan Black Stars' tally to nan quarter-finals.

Larne will beryllium acquainted pinch winger Julian Valarino, whose extremity for St Joseph's knocked them retired of nan Conference League 2 years ago, while Tjay De Barr is different 1 for nan Inver Reds to look retired for.

De Barr's value was connected show against Dinamo Minsk past week, his fantabulous half-volley from nan separator of nan area giving nan Gibraltarians dream of winning nan tie.

The 24-year-old guardant was antecedently pinch Wycombe Wanderers, making 33 appearances successful League One aft joining successful 2021 earlier returning to nan Red Imps astatine nan commencement of this year. Given their conclusion by St Joseph's successful 2022 and Derry City's nonaccomplishment to Bruno Magpies earlier this summer, Larne will cognize not to underestimate a broadside from Gibraltar.

While Larne leader Tiernan Lynch past week mislaid a cardinal subordinate pinch Lee Bonis' departure to Ado Den Haag, his manus has been strengthened importantly by nan arrivals of Jordan McEneff and Benji Magee from Derry and Loughgall.

With their 1-0 triumph complete Ballkani successful Pristina, Larne person already proved that they tin triumph distant from location successful Europe this summer.

With nan somesthesia successful Faro forecasted to beryllium 26C astatine kick-off, nan conditions will beryllium challenging for nan Irish Premiership side, but if they propulsion disconnected a affirmative consequence connected Thursday, they will person nan chance to make history successful beforehand of their ain fans adjacent week.