Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Linfield ......... Coleraine ....... 1
Stewart makes it look simple for Blues
JORDAN STEWART held his own goal of the season competition as 10-man Linfield edged closer to a 55th league title with a crucial win over Coleraine at Windsor Park.
The former Swindon forward, a blur of class, struck in the first half with two picture book goals that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a grander stage.
Stewart left a raft of Coleraine defenders on their backsides for the opener midway through the first half and added a second with a similar display of artistry before the break.
Curtis Allen pulled one back for the Bannsiders four minutes from time but it was too late for Oran Kearney’s men, who also lost Aaron Canning to a late red card.
The Blues, who had Niall Quinn sent off for a second bookable offence on the hour mark, are now firmly in the box seat as they chase a third successive title.
Last night’s win eased them 12 points clear at the top – albeit with one more game played than second-placed Coleraine – with only eight games to go.
It will take a sizable collapse to deny the Big Two champions another Gibson Cup next month.
Linfield were ahead on 18 minutes when livewire Stewart pounced for his third goal in three games.
He still had plenty to do when he controlled
Matthew Clarke’s low cross, but a spin, sidestep and shimmy later, the ball was nestling in the roof of the net.
It was a magical finish from the 26-year-old, who looks every inch a Linfield player these days after initially struggling to settle at the Blues four years ago.
Navid Nasseri and Shayne Lavery – who has nine goals in his last six games – almost doubled Linfield’s lead soon after, but both close range efforts fizzed wide of target.
Coleraine had penalty appeals turned away when Lyndon Kane’s shot struck a body inside the area before Stewart made it 2-0 just before the break. Lavery picked out the forward (both inset) who controlled, skipped past Stephen O’donnell and Coleraine keeper Gareth Deane before forcing the ball home.
Deane tipped a Cameron Palmer shot over the bar soon after, but an injury sustained during the save forced the keeper off to be replaced by Marty Gallagher.
Linfeld were then down to 10 men when Quinn picked up a second yellow for a foul on Matthew Shevlin, the midfielder’s first booking coming for denying Jamie Glackin a shot on goal in the first half.
Glackin turned provider for Coleraine’s late rally, crossing for substitute Allen to flash a near post header past Chris Johns, but it was too little, too late.
And the visitors’ frustration deepened in added time when Canning picked up a straight red for a trip on Christy Manzinga after the striker rounded the keeper.