I do have pieces of the original liner, but it's thicker than the clear patch and I'm thinking the thicker/white edges will be more obvious and easier for something to catch on and pull off the patch.

Out of curiosity, I did a leak test where I found the small tear (it's very small; hard to see but can feel it with my finger). I didn't notice any dye (actuall I just used phenol red) being sucked in. Perhaps the tear doesn't penetrate the liner?

While I was checking for a leak, I also checked around the steps and fixtures.....nothing noticeable. The past two winters I lost about 4" over a period of about 7 months (pool coved with a solid cover), so there's a leak somewhere, but I can't find where. I'm not too concerned about it right now since it's such a slow leak. It's not noticeable during the swim season.