Chris Johns (GK), Trai Hume, Sam Roscoe, Jimmy Callacher, Matthew Clarke, Chris Shields (Martin Donnelly 89’), Jamie Mulgrew (C), Stephen Fallon (Niall Quinn 27’), Jordan Stewart (Matt Green 71’), Kirk Millar (Ahmed Salam 89’), Christy Manzinga (Billy Chadwick 89’)
Niall Morgan (GK), Ethan McGee, Caolin Coyle (Rhyss Campbell 61’), Michael Glynn, Keith Cowan, Cahal McGinty, Oisin Smyth ©, Shea Conway (Ben Gallagher 77’), Caolan McAlear (James Knowles 77’), Darragh McBrien, Ryan Mayse (James Convie 84’)
Linfield kept their unbeaten start to the season going with a 3-0 win over Dungannon Swifts at Windsor Park this afternoon.
After a bright start, Linfield took the lead after 16 minutes. A stellar performer to date this season, Matthew Clarke scored a goal that his performances deserved. It was a fine way to open his account for the season as the left back burst in from the left to block a clearance before flicking the ball past a defender and finding the far corner from just inside the box with a display of great technique, hitting the ball with the outside of his left foot.
Jimmy Callacher went agonisingly close to doubling Linfield’s lead halfway through the first half. The defender met a deep corner from Kirk Millar with great power and purpose on his header which whistled inches wide of the far post.
Callacher had to show his defensive class when speedy Dungannon winger Darragh McBrien got beyond him and looked to be in the clear, with Callacher making an expert challenge from behind. He made it look seamless but he had to get it right and a crucial intervention it was. Stephen Fallon then walked gingerly down the tunnel, appearing to have pulled a muscle and that forced David Healy into an early substitution. On came Niall Quinn before Jordan Stewart moved centrally and Quinn went left of a 4-2-3-1.
The Blues then ended the half very strongly in search of a second goal which somehow didn’t come before the break. Christy Manzinga looked like adding to his goal tally for the season when he raced in behind before cutting in on his left and his shot appeared goalward bound past ‘keeper Niall Morgan, however, the backtracking Oisin Smyth managed to block the shot off the line.
The striker’s eyes lit up again when Chris Shields aimed a tantalising near post cross in his direction but it was brilliantly defended by a Dungannon man who managed to knock the ball out for a corner, although it wasn’t far wide of the post.
Jimmy Callacher headed over from another deep Kirk Millar delivery before Jamie Mulgrew found Christy Manzinga with a back post cross which seemed to take an age to drop and Manzinga’s volley was well saved over the bar by the goalkeeper who adjusted his feet quickly in the closing stages of the half.
Half Time: Linfield 1 – 0 Dungannon Swifts
The second half was a bit of a slog for the most part, in truth. It wasn’t vintage Linfield and tension remained in the game and around the ground until late on. Chances were few and far between, with Jimmy Callacher heading wide from another Kirk Millar corner which he didn’t seem to see coming, and Dungannon’s Keith Cowan had to make an important defensive header to stop Christy Manzinga reaching Jordan Stewart’s cross.
The old adage is that if you stay in the game, you’ll always get a chance at 1-0 and Dungannon’s chance arrived on 62 minutes when winger Darragh McBrien burst into the box before firing a powerful strike just over the bar.
On 71 minutes David Healy made the tough call to go to his bench for a change. On came Matt Green in place of Jordan Stewart who was on a booking and it proved to be an inspired decision. Christy Manzinga went out left and English striker Green played through the middle, but before Green made his mark, there were further moments of angst as Linfield struggled to find their rhythm and a loose ball who latched onto by Ryan Mayse who attempted to lob Chris Johns from 40 yards. His effort wasn’t far wide.
The elusive second goal arrived to settle the nerves nine minutes from time. Both Kirk Millar’s quality and work-rate were evident and key to the goal as he hounded a defender’s clearance to make a block, stealing the ball and squaring it across for Matt Green who’d took up a good position in the middle to steer in from close range to make it 2-0.
Four minutes later Green got his second and Linfield’s third. Kirk Millar was once again the provider as he whipped in a cross from the right and Matt Green connected from around 15 yards with an acrobatic volley which ended up in the net despite the goalkeeper getting hands on it.
Full Time: Linfield 3 – 0 Dungannon Swifts
LinfieldFC.com Man of the Match: Chris Shields
Match Images
