LINFIELD 7 WARRENPOINT TOWN 0 LAV IS IN THE FLAIR

Shane shows Heel go far as Blues run riot

TO borrow a phrase straight out of pantomime season: They’re behind you.

Linfield closed the gap on joint leaders Coleraine and Crusaders with a thumping 7-0 win over Warrenpoint Town at Windsor Park.

Shayne Lavery and Joel Cooper both bagged hat-tricks and Stephen Fallon was also on target as the champions romped home in some style in South Belfast.

Last night’s rout eased the Blues – who have been playing catch-up in the wake of their Europa League heroics in August – to within two points of the summit.

But crucially the Big Two giants, bidding to retain the Gibson Cup for the first time since 2012, boast two games in hand.

Fallon opened the scoring in the eighth minute when he latched on to a touch from Cooper to curl a first time shot inside the far post from 18 yards out.

The lively Lavery doubled the lead soon after when he swept home his 10th goal of the season following a tenacious run and cut back from Cooper (inset) down the left.

And it was 3-0 before the break when Bastien Hery sent Lavery racing clear for one of the cheekiest goals you’ll ever see in the Irish League.

Goalkeeper Berraat Turker charged outside the box to challenge in a 50/50, but the ball squirmed back into Lavery’s path and, with his back to goal, the striker back heeled into the empty net.

The former Everton youngster completed his hat-trick in the 50th minute with a vicious drive after cutting inside onto his right foot.

Cooper, who scored twice in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Ballymena, made it 5-0 when he headed home from a Matthew Clarke corner.

And he ended the night with a hat-trick thanks to a close range finish in the 83rd minute followed by a trademark run and drive near the death.

Shayne Lavery came up with a back heel finish on a night he celebrated scoring a classy hat-trick

NO GO Cliftonville chief Gerard Lawlor