Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
NILLY SEASON
It’s five wins & five clean sheets for champs Blues
IF winning key games when you’re off colour is a sign of champions, mark Linfield down for Gibson Cup glory in April.
David Healy’s men weren’t at their sparkling best against a lively Glentoran side in the first Big Two derby of the season at Windsor Park on Saturday.
But it was the Blues who ended the day with three crucial points and their fifth clean sheet in five Premiership outings this campaign.
Aaron Burns’ first league goal of the season from an early
Jordan Stewart cross proved decisive, although Roy Carroll had to be at best to keep the Ovalmen at bay.
The former Northern Ireland keeper produced a superb double save to deny Robbie Mcdaid and Curtis Allen and clawed a ricochet off the line soon after.
Healy (inset), who led Linfield to their first league title in five years in May, said: “It was a huge win. Glentoran are a decent side and their hunger was a credit to their manager. It’s always nice to win, whether it’s 4-0 or 1-0.
It wasn’t ugly but
I do think we looked a wee bit leggy at times. The good thing is we scored early and our defensive record is still intact.
“I thought we were off it after we scored and we let them back into the game but come the final whistle I felt we were deserved winners.
“Others might think Glentoran were the better side but if you look at the possession we were the better team. I don’t think Roy Carroll had a save to make in the second half.”
If Saturday’s evidence is anything to go by, Gary Haveron’s new-look Glentoran side will be scrapping with a host of other clubs for European qualification this season.
“It’ll be a lot tighter,” agreed Healy. “Glentoran have potential and Coleraine have started the season on fire. You’ve also got Crusaders, Cliftonville, Glenavon and Ballymena who will pick up.”
Haveron was “bitterly disappointed” to leave Windsor with nothing but pocketed positives from the performance.
“We didn’t deserve to go away with nothing,” he said. “The players are hurting. We started slowly but when we settled down we were much the better side, first half anyway.
“It’s not often you come here and in the last five minutes Linfield are running the ball into the corners and trying to kill time.
“If Linfield are the benchmark as champions, we have shown we aren’t a million miles away.”
GARY HAVERON has thanked Linfield staff for assisting an elderly Glentoran fan who fell seriously ill with a suspected heart attack before Saturday’s game.
He said: “The Linfield doctor attended the scene and applied a defibrillator before our supporter was taken to the Royal. We wish him a speedy recovery.”