Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SHAYNE AS IT EVER WAS
Former Toffees striker Lavery bags a brace as champs respond to pressure at top in the only way they know how
SHAYNE LAVERY got Linfield back to winning ways with a deadly double as the Blues eased six points clear of the chasing pack.
Having taken just two points from their previous three games and in the wake of a midweek derby loss to Glentoran, last night’s top-two clash had a ‘must win’ feel for David Healy’s men.
And the champions delivered with a crucial three points to tighten their grip on the summit heading into the second half of the campaign.
Lavery was the hero of the hour, the former Everton striker following up a cool first half penalty with a clinical finish with the outside of his boot 17 minutes from time.
Jeff Hughes gave Larne late hope of a reprieve with a close range finish in the 89th minute, but the Blues held on for an important victory at Windsor Park.
Linfield captain Jamie Mulgrew (inset) said: “It’s a massive three points for us after a few disappointing results and the run of form we were on.
“We had a lot of scrutiny and criticism and rightly so because we have been a long way off our normal levels, so it was important we got back on the horse and made a bit of a statement.”
While Linfield, whose next fixture is another Big Two derby against the Glens at The Oval on
Tuesday, injected fresh momentum into their title defence, what now for Larne? Tiernan Lynch’s men, who were in imperious form before the turn of the year, have won just two of their last 10 league games. Despite the blip, they remain within touching distance of the leaders, but if they don’t get back to winning ways soon, their challenge risks withering on the vine. Linfield were ahead on the half hour mark when Larne defender Dean Jarvis tripped the raiding Lavery with a clumsy challenge inside the area.
Referee Jamie Robinson pointed to the spot and Lavery stepped up to send Conor Devlin the wrong way for the Blues’ first goal in almost 300 minutes of league action.
It was 2-0 and effectively game over in the 73rd minute when the lethal Lavery bagged his 11th goal of the season.
Conor Pepper’s run and cross looked to have been snuffed out when Tomas Cosgrove robbed the lurking Stephen Fallon inside the penalty area.
But the Larne right-back’s attempted clearance ricocheted off Fallon and fell for Lavery who stretched to steer a ruthless shot in off the far post.
Larne captain Hughes gave the visitors a potential lifeline a minute from time when he latched on to a Mckendry pass to squeeze a near post shot past Chris Johns, but it was too little too late.