NO LET UP Healy tells his players to keep last season’s high standards

DAVID HEALY has warned Linfield their unbeaten domestic record will be put to the test in today’s Charity Shield shootout with Coleraine at The Oval.

The Blues - who lifted the league title, Irish Cup and County Antrim Shield last season - have gone 20 games in local competitions without defeat.

Their last loss was against today’s opponents in a

Danske Bank Premiership game at Windsor Park on

January 3.

Since that New Year setback, Linfield have won 19 and drawn one of their domestic outings; with their only competitive defeats coming in both legs against Celtic in the Champions League.

Healy, who led the Big Two giants to 3-0 win over the Bannsiders in the Irish Cup final in May, is eager to kick off the new campaign with a win.

The former Northern Ireland striker said: “It’s important we start the new season with a bang and the players know they’ll get a competitive fixture against Coleraine.

“As a manager and players you’ll always be judged come the start of the domestic season and that starts for us on Saturday.

“Our league opener against Carrick Rangers next weekend is a massive game and we want to start the league campaign well, but the Charity Shield is a game we want to win.”

Healy suspects Coleraine will be seeking retribution after failing to turn up in May’s Irish Cup final when an Andy Waterworth hat-trick sealed a comfortable 3-0 win for the Blues.

He said: “I know from beating Coleraine in the Irish Cup final that they’ll be looking for a little bit of revenge.

“They were disappointed on the day, so they’ll want to prove a point. They have good players and it’ll be a good test for us against a team in the same division.”

Coleraine have been boosted by the short term loan signing of young Derry City defender Scot Whiteside pending international clearance.

The 20-year-old former Glasgow Rangers trainee – who can play at centre back or right back – has featured in pre-season and agreed a deal until January.

Whiteside is the sixth summer arrival at the Showgrounds following the signings of Josh Carson, Joe Mccready, Aaron Traynor, Stephen O’donnell and Matthew Kirk.

Coleraine boss Oran Kearney (inset) said: “Scot is a local lad and ticks all the boxes.

“He can play as a centre half, but we ideally see him as a right-back.”

Linfield are without injured striker Andy Waterworth and defensive duo Matthew Clarke and Jimmy Callacher, while Coleraine striker James Mclaughlin (cruciate) is ruled out for the season.

Charity Shield is in aid of Action Mental Health.