Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BLUES CRUES
Champions looking formidable as they batter title rivals
LINFIELD took a significant step towards retaining the title with a thumping win over Crusaders at Windsor Park.
Jimmy Callacher (inset) bagged a double, Andy Waterworth scored his sixth goal in four games and Stephen Fallon added a late fourth to seal a crucial three points in South Belfast.
Victory edged the Blues, who are bidding to retain the Gibson Cup for the first time since 2012, nine points clear of the chasing pack.
And while all of their nearest rivals boast one or two games in hand, Healy’s men are in pole position with the final strait looming.
Crucially, the Crues, who lost Howard Beverland to a late red card, are now 11 points off the top. They do boast a game in hand, but it’s a long way back for Stephen Baxter and his players.
The visitors had been dealt a heavy low before kick-off when key defender Billy Joe Burns was ruled out with a flu bug.
And they were behind inside two minutes. Kirk Millar’s corner was only half cleared and Waterworth headed the ball back to the winger who arrowed an inviting cross to the back post.
The lurking Callacher rose above everyone to head past Crues keeper Gerard Doherty via a deflection off defensive partner Mark Haughey.
It was the perfect start for the Blues who had been boosted by the return of influential captain Jamie Mulgrew who missed the previous four league games with injury.
The scampering Paul Heatley forced a smothered save from Rohan Ferguson, while the Blues keeper also palmed a Rodney Brown header over the bar before the break.
Linfield then almost doubled their lead in the 49th minute when the in-form Waterworth forced a parried save from Doherty with a dipper.
It was 2-0 less than a minute later when the striker rifled home his 19th goal of the campaign from point blank range.
Joel Cooper’s cross was blocked and Millar’s follow-up shot fell for Waterworth who took a touch to convert from three yards out.
Crusaders had a golden chance to reply but Jamie Mcgonigle’s stooping header from a Forsythe cross was straight at Ferguson.
At the other end Chris Casement forced a smart double save from Doherty before Callacher pounced for his second of the night in the 64th minute. Millar whipped a dangerous corner across goal and the big defender rose to plant a free header into the roof of the net. The night ended on an even sourer note for the Crues when Beverland was sent off in the 88th minute for a second bookable offence. And it was 4-0 with virtually the last kick of the night when Fallon steered a low shot into the bottom corner after being teed up by Cooper.